Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has stated he is prepared to be 'hated one minute and loved the next' as England aim to secure their first World Cup victory in 60 years. Rice, who is on the verge of a remarkable Premier League and Champions League double with his club, is expected to play a crucial role for the national team this summer.
Despite improved performances under former manager Gareth Southgate, England's only major tournament triumph remains the 1966 World Cup. All attention will now be on Thomas Tuchel's squad when they face Croatia in their opening group match in Arlington, Texas on June 17.
Rice, who has earned 72 caps for England, commented: 'The biggest challenge is dealing with everything that comes with being an England player. It's going to be the most-watched football event of the last four years. One minute you're going to be hated, one minute you're going to be loved. It always changes in football. You've just got to take it with a pinch of salt.'
England's so-called 'Golden Generation', featuring stars like Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Rio Ferdinand, underperformed on the world stage, with players later admitting they struggled to set aside club rivalries. However, Rice, 27, speaking to British Vogue, highlighted the strong bond within the current squad.
'Whether it's through social media or in real life, you can see that there's a real connection between us,' Rice said. 'You obviously hear about the older generation talking about how they didn't get on and how they couldn't connect and play together. But I think with us, that's why, over the last few years with England, we've done so well, because we're close on and off the pitch.'
'We obviously all play against each other, but football's not like that any more. A lot of people have best friends from opposite teams, spend a lot of time with players from opposite teams. With England, we all get on. We always look forward to seeing each other. It's a nice getaway.'
Rice will feature for Arsenal in their home match against Burnley on Monday, followed by their final league game at Crystal Palace six days later. Winning both fixtures would secure Arsenal's first league title since 2004.
The full feature appears in the June issue of British Vogue, available for digital download and on newsstands from Tuesday, May 19.
