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Tottenham icon Rafael van der Vaart was critical of an Arsenal player after England’s 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final.
The Three Lions suffered another major final loss under Gareth Southgate, with Spain emerging as deserving champions, having proven themselves as the best team in the tournament.
Despite the defeat, England’s squad can take pride in their historic performance, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford receiving praise from various Three Lion legends.
However, Spurs legend Van der Vaart harshly criticized England and Arsenal star Declan Rice after the match.
**Declan Rice criticized for ‘useless’ performance against Spain**
Speaking to NOS Sport, Van der Vaart singled out Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as ‘useless’ for England against Spain, criticizing the 25-year-old for not passing the ball forward enough.
Rice, playing as England’s deepest midfielder under Southgate, has had his role slightly altered from his more attacking position at Arsenal. This summer’s Euros saw Jude Bellingham taking on the advanced midfield role, limiting Rice’s forward play.
Van der Vaart commented, “£100m for Declan Rice, what does he do? He comes to collect a ball only to pass it back to John Stones. He is useless. If you are truly worth £100m, then you should be able to play a ball forward.”
**Rice’s England role should mirror his Arsenal duties**
Rice is one of England’s key players, set to remain a mainstay for the national team for years to come. However, as England looks ahead, potentially without Southgate, there should be an effort to align Rice’s role with how he plays for Arsenal.
Under Mikel Arteta, Rice has shown a different side of his game with remarkable results. If England hopes to achieve international success, Rice should adopt a similar playing style for the national team.
