By CandH’s top blogger Allen Cummings
Declan Rice will no doubt still be feeling drained and totally gutted after the devastation he clearly suffered at the end of that amazing Euro 2020 final.
The tears he shed when reality struck and defeat sunk in were there for all to see. Such is the nature of that particular young man, it’s a fair bet he will continue to be gutted for weeks to come.
Declan put everything he had into the 75 minutes he spent on the Wembley pitch – just as he had done in every game he played for his country throughout the entire tournament.
Many people, me included, had him marked down as a Man of the Match candidate before Gareth Southgate made the decision to replace him with Jordan Henderson – wrongly in my opinion. But that was the England Manager’s call and I respect him for that.
There will now be a well-earned break for Rice – to recharge those severely tested batteries – and redress that battered and bruised mindset – before he joins up again with his West Ham team mates.
It will be a time during which he will need the strength and support of his family around him – and a time for him to benefit from that strong bond he has with his mentor and club captain Mark Noble.
Much has been made of the close relationship Declan shares with Nobes – and you can be certain his skipper will already be working on how he can console and commiserate with his young protegee – and more importantly coax him back to a more positive frame of mind than the one he will be feeling right now.
Rice told us only the other day how he was in contact with his captain regularly. “I’ve been speaking to Noble every day on facetime,” admitted Declan.
“He’s like a proud dad. Honestly he is. He calls my dad every day to speak about the games…speaks to me every day about the games, too.”
For his part Mark wrote on the West Ham website about his pride in Declan’s Euros success. “It’s been an absolute joy watching him play,” said the skipper, “….and emotional for myself at times because I still see him as a young kid coming into the team.
I’ve got such a close relationship with him and his family and it goes beyond football really. I see him as a little brother.”
It’s clear Noble will have felt every ounce of Declan’s pain on Sunday evening. Would probably have shared a few tears like him along the way, too.
But you can be sure Nobes focus now will be on how he can use all his years of experience and knowhow, dealing with the highs and lows of professional football, to help Deccers cope with what’s just happened – and more importantly to move on, use that experience to grow better and stronger and continue to build the amazing future he has ahead of him.
With both centre backs around the 35 year mark and both having been booked, I thought we should have brought Grealish on much earlier. Let him run straight at the heart of their defence and maybe earn free kicks around the box, a pen, or another booking for either defender. Common sense tells you to attack their vulnerabilities. Don’t get me started on Declan’s replacement. You don’t bring a player on in the most crucial phase of a cup final because he’s good in the dressing room. Utterly ridiculous decision.
Southgate is paid to win football matches not make political statements, despite there paramount importance, especially after the obscene and totally unforgettable abuse of those England player’s. Declan Rice was inspirational and clearly playing a blinder, there’s not one major national football team in the world that would replace there most influential player on the night unless for injury. I can understand keeping it tight for 15 minutes of 2nd half but thereafter, it was an accident waiting to happen. I did think someone should give him an brolly because history was about to repeat itself. England needed to regain control and get forward and the player’s to do that were sat on the bench, ready and waiting. What happens next is a travesty and of all people, he was best placed to do everything to prevent the match going to penalties. Thought it was a no brainer to use Rashford’s pace at the beginning of ET but clearly, Southgate just didn’t have a plan other than parking the bus and saying a few prayers. To say I was deflated when he substituted Declan is an understatement , Italy were so venerable at the back but Southgate did very little to recapture the threat of the first 45 minutes. To their credit Italy regained there composure, took control, got the equaliser from a set piece (they were never ever going to score from open play) thereafter, there was only ever going to be one result. To be that close but for his indescion and lack of technical adaptability during matches (this is reoccurring theme since 2018) is perplexing and upsetting. I just hope that in future Southgate and his coaching staff realise what’s needed to protect a slender lead and take the match to the opposition, for more than the first 2 minutes!