Declan Rice has challenged England to lay down a marker with a first win in Italy since 1961 when they begin qualification for Euro 2024 in Naples on Thursday night.
Rice acknowledged there is more expectation than ever on Gareth Southgate’s side ahead of their first game since losing to France in the World Cup quarter-finals in December.
England begin qualifying for Germany in 18 months’ time with what is likely to be their toughest assignment — a visit to the European champions and the port city of Naples, aiming to win on Italian soil for the first time since a friendly win in Rome 62 years ago.
“I think there is more expectation now than ever, if you look at this squad of players it’s full of top-quality players,” said the West Ham captain. “The record in Italy hasn’t been good and since the Euros this will be the fourth time we have played them, and we haven’t won yet.
“I think tonight is a really big statement if we can go out there and put on a performance and win — it will be a great marker of where we are at and it will also set us off in good stead for this campaign. We’re in a hostile city, a hostile stadium and we’re ready to go out there. It’s going to be tough, but after the World Cup we genuinely believe we can beat anyone.”
Southgate is ready start Kalvin Phillips on Thursday, despite the midfielder not yet having started a Premier League game for Manchester City all season.
Phillips has been dogged by fitness issues since joining City for £42million last summer, but he is expected to form a midfield three with Rice and Jude Bellingham.
Southgate is also expected to start with a front three of Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane and Jack Grealish, with the latter getting the nod over his City team-mate Phil Foden.
Rice hopes to use Thursday’s match as a springboard for a strong finish to the season with West Ham, after acknowledging it has been an inconsistent campaign for himself and the club.
“Now I’m here, it’s about these two fixtures for England, and when I get back to West Ham, it’s about playing the best I can to get us out the relegation battle and win the [Europa] Conference League,” he said. “That would be a special moment for me and the club. My club performances are probably getting looked at more because of where we are in the League and me being captain, which I can take on the chin.
“There have been some games recently where I probably haven’t been at my best, but there have been other games where I have been at my best. It’s a bit up and down for the whole team this season. I want to end the season strong, starting tonight.
“It’s a massive game [for England], and when I get back to the club it’s a massive game against Southampton [that] I’m really looking forward to. A real mixture, but that’s why I do it, that’s why I love it. The pressure, that’s what you’re here for and I’m really looking to embrace it all.”
Kane will lead England for the first time since his decisive penalty miss against France in the World Cup and he needs one goal to pull clear of Wayne Rooney as his country’s all-time top scorer.
Kane blew the chance to break the record when he blazed a second spot-kick of the game over the bar as England lost 2-1 against France at the World Cup, and Southgate says the Tottenham striker will have “added motivation” on Thursday.
