Declan Rice thinks there is an agenda against England team-mate Mason Mount for both club and increasingly his country due to his style of play.
Mount has come under fire from some sections of the Three Lions support after starting both of England’s first two Group B matches at the World Cup.
He was then left out of the 3-0 win over Wales on Tuesday, raising doubts over whether he will start in the last-16 against Senegal this weekend.
Rice, who has been friends with Mount since childhood, doesn’t think Gareth Southgate would hesitate to pick the Chelsea star, who he says is ‘one of the best players’ that he has played with.
“I don’t need to talk too much about Mase,” Rice said at England’s Al Wakrah training base on Thursday. “He probably just doesn’t fit the agenda of what people want an attacking midfield player to look like in this day and age.
“He is one of the best players I’ve played with — and I’m not saying that because he’s my best mate. If you see the way he helps the team, I think that’s why Gareth is so keen on him and picks him all the time.
“Not only with the ball, his quality he shows in abundance for England and Chelsea, but the way he is off the ball: you don’t see many number 10s who have that together. He is such a team player, such a hard-working, honest guy.”
Rice added: “Sometimes fans, people online, social media, they just don’t like him. For what reason I honestly don’t know. But, look, his numbers for Chelsea are incredible.
“He’s won the Champions League, won the Super Cup, at such a young age and for the rest of his career, he can go on and be whatever he wants to be. And I know he doesn’t let that noise get to him.
“Look, let Mase go and do his thing. When he’s doing that it makes me happy seeing my good friend go and perform at the best level.”
