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Declan Rice explains why he is concerned about chances of securing place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 despite starring for Arsenal.
Declan Rice disclosed that, despite his steady play for Arsenal, he is worried about earning a spot in the England squad for Euro 2024.
The England and Arsenal player expressed anxiety over earning a berth in Gareth Southgate’s Three Lions squad for Euro 2024, saying that each player must perform at the highest level possible.
on addition, Rice said that the competition would be more intense than it was for the 2022 World Cup team since there will be just 23 players on the Euro squad as opposed to 26 for the World Cup.
Southgate had earlier mentioned that he would only pick players in the Euro squad who would be 100% fit ahead of the tournament, unlike in Euro 2020, where he picked half-fit Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson, and in the World Cup, where Kyle Walker made it to the squad despite not being fully fit.
The manager also acknowledged that he usually favors players who can fill a variety of roles.
Speaking to reporters in the pre-match press conference, the Gunners midfielder said, “It’s always in our minds that when we go back to our club, Gareth is always attending games, Steve is always attending games and you need to be at your best. Nothing is guaranteed.
“Going into a major tournament, you need to be fit, you need to be ready and you need to be well prepared. Like he said, I think it is the shortest squad this time, whereas the World Cup it was a 26-man squad and obviously now it is a 23-man squad. You need to be at your best to get picked for that. So, I am sure the boys will do everything they can to be on the plane to Germany.”
The former West Ham player’s status for Monday’s last Euro 2024 qualifying match against North Macedonia is still unknown, as Southgate voiced concerns about the “dangerous” state of the field at the National Arena Todor Proeski Stadium.
If Mikel Arteta is well enough to play, the star player will start for his team against Brentford on Saturday in the Premier League.