As England's players battled to combat any immediate complacency after Bukayo Saka superbly doubled the Three Lions' lead in their opening World Cup fixture against Iran, Declan Rice, for once, took up a centre-stage role in proceedings.
The midfielder, in his first season as captain of West Ham United at club level, issued a rallying cry to his team-mates on the international stage just seconds before Iran resumed play. Arms aloft, Rice's message was a straightforward one; he wanted more, and so did England. It was clear there was a declaration of intent to be sent to the other 31 nations with their commanding display at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Soon after administering his passionate plea, Rice was wheeling away in jubilation once more. This time hunting down a jovial Raheem Sterling, who had connected sumptuously with Harry Kane's cross to hand England a three-goal lead over their Group B counterparts - marking his first World Cup goal in style after a wonderful passage of play.
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Apart from that, you would do well to find any other time during the fixture that the 23-year-old midfielder was front and centre, despite his ever-growing importance to this England side.
Jude Bellingham and Saka rightfully dominated the headlines for their phenomenal performances in the Middle East, with the 19-year-old midfielder marking his first World Cup appearance by becoming the Three Lions’ second youngest-ever goalscorer in the history of the competition.
The Reds’ interest in the Borussia Dortmund phenomenon is perhaps the worst-kept secret in football. But as Jurgen Klopp alluded to during the off-season, the only problem surrounding the player is that it would likely take an astronomical fee for the Bundesliga side to even consider parting with the teenage sensation in the upcoming transfer windows.
Simply put: the midfielder has been firmly viewed as not for sale over the past 18 months.
And after his performances in the Three Lions’ thrashing of Iran on Monday afternoon, you can add another few million to any possible price tag Dortmund officials had drawn up prior to kick-off in Doha.
Yet this makes the all-encompassing showing from Rice all the more important for those at Anfield, who will be keeping an eagle eye on events at the World Cup. While the 23-year-old will definitely not come at a discounted price given his form for club and country over the past 18 months, it is difficult to think that he would command a fee equivalent to that of Bellingham - despite West Ham almost guaranteed to sell to a Premier League peer. His estimated value on transfermarkt comes in around the £70m mark.
Picking up where he left off at last summer’s European Championships, he was the metronome in England’s midfield for the contest as his reliability both in and out of possession allowed the excellent Bellingham to venture into more advanced positions; amplified by his Steven Gerrard-like header to open the scoring after 35 minutes.
Over the course of the contest, the Hammers’ skipper completed 90 of his 95 attempted passes, while boasting the highest pass completion rate of any of his England colleagues during the first half. Capable of both retaining possession and breaking enemy lines, Rice also successfully executed five of his seven long passes.
The force of Carlos Queiroz’s side, who recently beat Uruguay, presented Rice with a unique test compared to what he faces when lining up for West Ham. With England inevitably set to enjoy a lion's share of the ball, the midfielder’s decision making was always going to be examined with greater scrutiny as Gareth Southgate's side endeavoured to play their way through Iran’s low block.
Usually adhering to the counter attacking philosophy at club level, Rice's judgment in possession was excellent as he continually moved the ball from left to right in search of a punchy, line-splitting pass to one of his team-mates.
Add to the fact that Southgate switched to a more conventional approach after half-time, allowing Rice to further demonstrate the flawless defensive skill-set he has formulated since making his Premier League debut in 2017. Recovering possession nine times throughout, he was a key figure in maintaining the pressure on the Iranians, with their six-goal haul a result of such intimidation initiated by Rice and Bellingham, as well as the full-back pairing of Kieran Trippier and Luke Shaw.
It is possible that Liverpool will lose at least three midfielders at the end of this season, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita’s contracts all expiring, meaning the Reds’ midfield is in line for a major overhaul. While Bellingham will undoubtedly be the name on the lips of all supporters, the club’s failed pursuit of Aurélien Tchouaméni highlights the risk of an all-or-nothing transfer policy.
As a former Chelsea academy player, Rice has been heavily linked with a move back to Stamford Bridge next summer. But with the possibility of the Londoners missing out on Champions League football as they continue to adjust to the philosophy of Graham Potter, Liverpool could do worse than sanction a move for the 23-year-old who is quickly becoming a household name for England.
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