Declan Rice came under fire from Rafael van der Vaart after England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final. Played every minute of England’s campaign, Rice failed to wow former Netherlands and Tottenham great. Van der Vaart was let down by his performance even though Rice’s 40 passes were the most on his squad. Van van Vaart noted Rice’s excessive backward pass count, costing Arsenal £105 million. Speaking on NOS in the Netherlands, he challenged Rice’s worth by asking, “100m for Declan Rice… what does he do? He arrives to pick up a ball only to return it to John Stones. He is useless. You should be able to play a ball forward if you are really worth 100m.”
Ex-Premier League Star Takes A Huge Dig At Declan Rice After Spain Wins Euros
Rice, who came from West Ham last year and joined Arsenal, was criticised for his lack of forward action. Van van Vaart’s comments underlined a more general issue with Rice’s influence in pivotal games. Given his high price tag, many anticipated Rice to be a game-changer, but his performance fell short. After Rice had made 58 senior England appearances with 19 of them in important events, this criticism follows. Van van Vaart thinks Rice’s performance does not warrant his price, despite his background.
Van van Vaart understands the burden of always producing as he scored 28 goals in 77 games for Spurs and was capped 109 times by the Netherlands. His remarks imply Rice should do more to match his transfer cost. England had a difficult game against Spain. Rice aimed to dominate the midfield, but Spain’s pressing attack hampered England’s efforts to create assaults. Both fans and analysts were annoyed by Rice’s inclination to play it safe with backwards passes.
The direct criticism by Van der Vaart captures the general opinion among football experts. High transfer price players, they contend, ought to always provide outstanding performance. For Rice, particularly in pivotal events like the Euro 2024 final, this entails pushing the team ahead and increasing chances.
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Barcelona wants to sign Nico Williams, but Arsenal and Chelsea provide competition. Impressive at Athletic Club, the 22-year-old has helped to provide 27 goals in 37 outings. Barcelona wants to get him fast as the Premier League teams show such interest. They could therefore have trouble with their plans if they are unwilling to pay his release clause. According to Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona wants to acquire Williams quickly in order to gain advantage. Hoping to avoid paying the hefty release clause and other related expenses, they are ready to start negotiations next week. Arsenal and Chelsea, who are attentively observing the matter, present a danger, hence this haste results.
With his performances for Athletic Club and Spain, Nico Williams has become a top young talent that grabs interest. Several well-known teams seek him as his skill and promise have not gone unnoticed. Among his accomplishments include a major part in Spain’s most recent UEFA European Championship triumph, as he scored against England in the final. Joan Laporta drives Barcelona’s interest as he sees Williams and Lamine Yamal as a formidable attacking pair akin to their national team arrangement. Williams is seen as a major asset to their team, and they want to advocate his move this week. Their unwillingness to activate his release clause, however, may be a challenge.
