'Winning for your country is the biggest thing you can do': Declan Rice gears up for the Euros 2024

Declan Rice tells ITV News Sports Editor Steve Scott about joining up with England teammates today, at the start of their Euros campaign

“I can’t wait. I can’t wait to go see the lads. It’s crazy because you’d never get that between the clubs a few years ago. We just always get on, and it’s going to be a fun summer, for sure,” says Declan Rice.

He is talking like a toddler on Christmas Eve before joining up with his England teammates at the start of their Euros campaign.

As he points out, such unity has not always been a hallmark of the Three Lions squads. Far from it.

It’s a culture that’s been nurtured with some success by current boss Gareth Southgate, he says.

I’m speaking to Rice about the fast-approaching Euros and Arsenal’s successful season, back where it all started for him; the Dickerage Lane community sports centre in New Malden where he first kicked a ball aged two.

He has helped fund a new AstroTurf pitch for the youngsters from his neighbourhood who are trying to follow in his footsteps.

Rice said: “I’m so proud. It’s been such a big part of my life, and my family’s life, even just walking in and seeing the people who’ve turned up it’s something special.”

“When I was a teenager, coming through those gates four or five nights a week, my mum couldn’t even get me home. I was addicted to the place, and it played a massive part of where I am today.”

It’s where he first dreamed of playing for England, like his first footballing heroes Joe Cole and John Terry.

“It was always competitive here, that’s what I loved about it, whatever sport you played, and it wasn’t always just football, it could be anything, and everything was always fun.”

Declan Rice goes viral on social media after meeting a young fan at a West Ham game

Rice has just finished a season where his new club, Arsenal, pushed Manchester City to the very last game. Does he think they’re now close to breaking City’s dominance?

“That’s hard to say because even though they lost the final [FA Cup], for me they’re probably still the best team in the world," he says.

"We’re now trying to become that which is a good thing. I think that’s the mentality we’re trying to have and we want to try to emulate them in terms of winning trophies. I’m sure we’re on that path and the City players know that.”

Rice will undoubtedly start for England at the Euros. Playing in front of him, further up the pitch, will most likely be Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Bukaya Saka and Harry Kane.

Given all that world class talent does he believe, this is England’s time?

“Look we have to be confident; you can’t go into a tournament and not have confidence. We’ve obviously got a group of players now who’ve played at the top level and won big things, so you have to be ready, be savvy and I’m sure Gareth [Southgate] will have us right," he replies.

Southgate has chosen a relatively inexperienced squad for Germany but told me last week he has plenty of leaders in the group ready to fill the vacuum left by the likes of Jordan Henderson - with Rice being among them.

Does the midfielder see himself in that role?

“Definitely, he says. "I see myself stepping into a leadership role. I love helping my teammates, I love putting my teammates first and I think that’s a really important quality.”

So, what sort of leader is he?

“I think supportive. I’m always there for my teammates. I’m someone who can drive and push my teammates to be better. Just having that belief as a captain that anything is possible, and your teammates have trust in you and they can speak to you about anything at all.”

Rice also praised Harry Kane for his influence on the group, a characteristic of the current England captain that isn’t well known.

”He’s brilliant. He’s one of the best I’ve seen speaking privately about anxiety to players," says Rice.

But nothing would give him greater satisfaction than Kane lifting the trophy in a couple of months’ time.

He said: “It’s the biggest thing you can do winning something for your country. We were obviously so close in 2021 and the reaction after losing the final, people were coming up to you in the street, it was a whole other level than I’ve ever experienced.

"So, to go to Germany and have this challenge to win on foreign soil it’s one I’m looking forward to.”

If Rice does help England through to the final, he’ll have done it on a diet of pancakes, and plenty of them.

When he moved to Arsenal, he was told to ditch his usual pre-match meal of fish and rice and go full American for extra energy!

He said: ”That’s what fuels me now, it was a lot for me to change from what I had to that but as crazy as it sounds, I love a lot of pancakes with a lot of syrup and I’m not going to change that.

"I was thinking the other day how many pancakes am I going to have between now and the end of my career? It might be a lot of pancakes!”

As long as he’s still wolfing them down in Berlin on July 14 then England fans will be more than happy.

Declan Rice spoke to ITV News at the Dickerage Lane Sports Community Centre after opening a new pitch he helped fund with Adidas and Müller.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...