Jamie Redknapp reckons West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could solve Gareth Southgate’s defensive woes for England.
Rice, whose stunning breakthrough with the Hammers last season has seen him linked with a move to Manchester United , has predominately been used in a defensive midfield role for both club and country.
However his performance in that role during the shock 2-1 defeat at Czech Republic last Friday has led to doubts over whether that is the best position for him.
And, given Southgate’s current defensive shortage which has seen him use the out-of-form Michael Keane alongside Harry Maguire, Redknapp says Rice could easily adapt to a new role.
(Image: PA)
Writing in his Daily Mail column, he said: “Is Declan Rice the answer to England’s problems in defence? I suspect he could be.
“I see a centre back in the 20-year-old and that is where his future could lie for club and country, rather than being used solely in midfield.
“In the modern game, players are being told to pass it out from the back, and Rice is capable of executing that. He’d be more than happy to get on the ball and has the intelligence needed to form an effective centre back partnership.
“He ranks fourth for interceptions and seventh for ball recoveries (in the Premier League). I believe he could apply those talents to central defence, too, while being the proficient passer Gareth Southgate wants.”
(Image: Getty Images)
England, meanwhile, are looking to bounce back from their shock defeat to the Czech Republic by getting their Euro 2020 qualification campaign back on track in Bulgaria on Monday night.
After 43 unbeaten matches stretching across a 10-year period, the Three Lions finally lost a European or World Cup qualifier as the Czechs capitalised on the visitors’ surprisingly lacklustre performance in Prague.
Ponderous in possession, poor at the back and toothless in attack, England missed the chance to seal qualification in the Czech Republic – and can only do so on Monday if they beat Bulgaria and Kosovo fail to win their match.
