England midfielder Declan Rice previews their UEFA World Cup qualifying match against Latvia
24/03/2025
Tottenham Way, London, UK
24/03/2025
Tottenham Way, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hey guys, welcome back. Declan Rice, head of tomorrow's match in Latvia. Again, two
00:17questions per person and we'll start with Rob.
00:19Declan, good to see you.
00:22You too.
00:23Can you give us some insight into what it's like in the England camp right now? You know
00:27Gareth so well. You're getting to know Thomas. How's it different?
00:34It's really good actually. It's really, really good. The energy's really good. Training's
00:39been amazing. The energy in training's been really, really top. The manager addressed
00:43that on the first day after the first session. There was a group of boys that were doing
00:47like a recovery session because we played on a Sunday and on the Monday they were training
00:51and we watched that and we were like, wow, this is top tempo, really, really sharp. And
00:55Thomas addressed it that night. So I think that's been the theme of the whole week really.
00:59The energy's been there. It's been really, really good. And obviously first time working
01:02with Thomas, he's really energetic, cares so much about his players. And ultimately
01:07we have one goal, which is obviously to get to the World Cup and we want to add the second
01:12star onto the shirt and I think he's been massive on that. So yeah, look, we're all
01:17on the same page and we're all together on that.
01:21It was six years yesterday. I don't know if anybody's mentioned this to you.
01:24Yeah, I see it.
01:26But you made your England debut against the Czech Republic.
01:28Your hair's better, isn't it?
01:29Yeah. I didn't want to say anything.
01:33No, you can, you can.
01:34I'm glad you said that. You were a young lad back then.
01:36I know, it was scary.
01:38I mean, look, how much do you think you, in what way do you think you've changed and in
01:41what way do you think this England squad's changed? It strikes me both have changed an
01:44awful lot.
01:45Yeah, definitely. I think I've grown so much as a player and as a person in that time.
01:50I've played with so many players. I think six years ago, I remember ex-pros, like, they
01:55are retired now, when I was at West Ham, telling me, Deck, enjoy your career because it goes
01:58so quick. And already it's six years in an England shirt. Like, it goes so fast. It's
02:03taught me to just cherish every moment. You know, to play for England's the biggest thing
02:08that you can do. And it's been one of the best journeys that I've ever had.
02:13And as a group, I think I've learned so much playing. Obviously, we've lost two finals,
02:16which has obviously been really tough to take. But the journey along the way and the experiences
02:20I've had, you know, will stick with me for life. And I think with Thomas now, with this
02:25new era, obviously new, young, exciting players coming through, there's still so much more
02:29to come. And yeah, I think you're going to keep seeing the best of us and the best of
02:33each other.
02:35Hi, Declan.
02:36Hey.
02:37Thomas has said a lot about the style that he wants to implement. Has it made much of
02:40a difference to what you have to do on the pitch or how have you found it?
02:44Yes. The way he wants his midfielders to play is very similar to how I have it at club.
02:50So it's not been too much different in terms of putting a lot of emphasis on playing through
02:54to number six, playing to the number eight. We haven't had a lot of time to train, just
02:59because of obviously scheduling, with lads being on different programmes. So over time,
03:04we're going to be able to get his style much, much more. But the other night, in terms of
03:10passing the ball really well, obviously Albania didn't press us as high as we probably wanted
03:14and what we'd set up for. But we passed the ball really well. There was a lot of things
03:18there that he was happy with, but stuff that for sure we can keep improving on. So over
03:22time, I think you're going to see a team that's Thomas' team, how he really, really wants
03:28to work. So as long as we keep getting that time on the training pitch and keep connecting
03:32together, I think it'll be really good.
03:34Harry Kane scored his 70th goal the other night in 104 games. Obviously, you've played
03:38with him for a long time. An incredible record. When he's in the team, does it just give you
03:44that extra belief that whatever competition you can go to, you can achieve anything really?
03:49For sure. He's insane. Honestly, you've seen him train. I've seen him train now for so
03:55long. I've seen him play so many games for England and the amount of times he's bailed
03:59us out with a goal or scored a hat-trick or scored a brace. The other night, what was
04:04like that goal for me as well, was how he took the touch, waited for the defender to
04:08come across, then created the space. Not a lot of people would think like that, and that
04:12was just top, top level. He's been doing that at Bayern Munich now. I think he's close to
04:16100 goals for them in two seasons overall. So he scored 70 for England. He's an unbelievable
04:22guy, great captain, and I'm sure he's looking at the 100 mark for England. So I think he
04:28can get that for sure.
04:30Hello.
04:31Hello, you all right?
04:32I'm good, thank you. Thomas has just said the one thing he loves about his job is building
04:37that connection with players. We know he's a serial winner. You'd probably think it's
04:40the tactics, the structure. So how has he been building that with you?
04:45I think just how he is as a person, his whole character. He's been amazing on the training
04:51pitch, how he puts his arm around you, just makes you feel loved and welcome. And as a
04:56player, I think that's such a special thing to feel loved by your manager. It gives you
05:00the confidence to go out there and really, really perform. And he's done that with a
05:04lot of players this week, and honestly, the lads are buzzing off him. And the way training's
05:08been, it's been really high level. The energy's been really high, and that comes from him
05:13because of how he is as a character, his charisma. So yeah, I think it's only been the first
05:18week, but it's definitely exciting times, and for sure we can all keep improving in
05:22that sense as well.
05:23That arm around you is probably a bit surprising because you've been very direct in some approaches
05:28and what he's talked to us about. And what was quite surprising is him giving you permission
05:33to be direct to one another and to hold each other account. I think you can be quite direct
05:38anyway, so we were probably quite surprised to hear that. But is that a reality, being
05:42given that permission allows for more honesty in addressing them?
05:46Yeah, that's what we've spoken about in terms of putting more ownership on each other, demanding
05:52more for each other, because we all get on so much as a team. We're like a group of best
05:57mates. But to win and to be the best, sometimes you need to have uncomfortable conversations
06:02on the football pitch, and he's been really big on that in terms of pushing each other
06:06more. If there's something that needs to be said, say it, because it's not a personal
06:09thing. It's just to help the team and to help us improve, and he's put real emphasis on
06:13that. So yeah, he's been really good in that sense, and definitely with me. I've not always
06:19had to have uncomfortable conversations with people because I get on with everyone, but
06:23it's definitely somewhere I can improve in my game that's an off-the-pitch thing in terms
06:27of pushing people more and demanding more of others. It's the same for the whole group.
06:32If we want to win, you need everyone buying into that and being able to push each other.
06:37Hello, Raymond from Latvian TV. To Latvian players, there doesn't need to be an extra
06:48introduction about what is England and English players, but what do you know about Latvia
06:53and Latvia in general, and maybe some insight what Latvian players should be expecting against
07:00England in Wembley Stadium?
07:02Yeah, I see the result the other night. Obviously, you won Latvia 1-1-0, but I actually have
07:07a story because one of the Latvian players who's on the bench, he's a goalkeeper called
07:11Riyad Marchovic. I stayed with him. He was at West Ham with me as a kid, and we lived
07:18together in a house. It's called Diggs. That's what the nickname for it is. It's when you're
07:24an academy player, you stay in a house with another family, and we stay together. He's
07:28from Latvia, and I see the other night that he was on the bench, so I'm really looking
07:31forward to seeing him because I've not seen him for years. It's going to be another tough
07:37game. Obviously, they won their first game. I know they played a five at the back, so
07:40it's down to us to break that down. Obviously, I think it's our first time in ages that we're
07:44going to be playing Latvia, so it's going to be a good occasion. Obviously, we're back
07:47at Wembley, and we want to win two out of two, so we need to be strong and keep pushing.
07:53What means Wembley Stadium for England, for English people, for English footballers, and
08:00what is your best memory from Wembley Stadium, maybe as a kid?
08:05I think it's the home of football, really. It's the home where we get to walk out and
08:10play every time you walk out of Wembley. It's so, so special. Obviously, I had some amazing
08:14experiences there. I had some bad ones in terms of losing the Euro final at Wembley,
08:19which was horrible. My best experience would be, obviously, making my debut at Wembley,
08:24which was a real special moment for me in my career. But for me, getting to play on
08:29that pitch every time, putting on the shirt, is the best feeling in the world.
08:34Matijs Timofejos, Latvian TV. One more time, please, Declan. Say something more about Richard
08:40Matrovic, please. He was the number one goalkeeper when Paolo Nicolato started coaching Latvia.
08:47The last game against Andorra was a big surprise that he was on the bench. Maybe some more
08:52memories. How good was Richard back then, and what have you seen about him right now?
08:58Maybe he's playing in Latvia? Or haven't you seen anything?
09:01It's crazy, because when he comes, if he starts tomorrow, you'll see he's about 7 foot 5.
09:07He's so tall. Honestly, I'm not lying. He's so, so tall. I remember him when he came to
09:12West Ham, he was like, wow, this guy's a beast.
09:15Sorry, in Latvia we call him King Kong.
09:18King Kong, there you go. He's so, so tall, honestly. He couldn't speak much English at
09:23the time, but by the end, his English was unbelievable. Really, really good. Got on
09:27with everyone. We had a lot of times where we'd get free time, we'd go out for some food,
09:31we'd go to Nando's in Romford, because we stayed in Essex. And he'd have to duck down
09:37to get underneath the door. He's that tall. He was such a good guy, and I'm really looking
09:42forward to seeing him tomorrow, because it's been a long time. And the other night, that
09:45was one of the first things I checked, to see if he was involved. And obviously, I see
09:49he was involved, so it'll be nice to see him tomorrow night.
09:53We'll get him greetings from you. And one short question. How important for you is to
10:00get to know the next opponent very well? Or you're mainly thinking about yourself, your
10:05team?
10:06Say that again, sorry?
10:07How important for you is to get to know the next opponent very well? Or you're mainly
10:12thinking about yourself?
10:13No, it's so, so important. You can't overlook anyone. We've done a lot of looking into
10:18Albania this week, and then yesterday and today, we've done some meetings on Latvia
10:23already. I think you need to go into every game fully prepared, because every team has
10:27individual quality, no matter who you're playing against. So tomorrow's a big game.
10:32It's Thomas' second game, it's our second game under him. It's a chance to improve
10:36again and get better. So yeah, we want to win, and we want to start off this group
10:40with six points, which would be a good start.
10:44Declan, Harry Kane the other day spoke about the pressure he felt at the Euros. Probably
10:50that same pressure will be with you in America. You will be one of the favourites. How do
10:54you think you can improve with the experience you had at the Euros, coping with that pressure?
10:59Yeah, I think that's one thing I've noticed playing for England. It's the biggest
11:03pressure you can have. All eyes are on it. Everyone from the country comes together to
11:09support England. Obviously we've lost two finals now, but we know as a group we can
11:15succeed and we can win. I think just learning from the Euros in the summer, in terms of
11:19we didn't play our best but we got to the final, that was a good sign. But in terms
11:25of now, we can be one of the best teams and go on and win it as well, for sure. So it's
11:31about sticking together. Like I said, having a good group of core players that want to
11:35push each other. With the manager, he's not going to let us get away with anything. He's
11:41going to be on us and I think we need to keep pushing as a group because, like I said, it's
11:45an exciting time to be an England player with the World Cup coming up. It's going to be
11:50really good when we qualify, hopefully. Hopefully we do really well in the tournament, so we
11:54can see what happens.
11:56After the Albania game, you said you were mocked for saying that Miles Lewis-Skelly
12:02could be England's left-back. He was pretty sensational on debut. Do you think he can
12:06make that position his own now?
12:08Yes, definitely. I see Miles when he first broke into the team, I knew his talent straight
12:14away. He trained with us a lot last year at Arsenal but obviously didn't really play.
12:18But I see his talent straight away. And then this year, the way he stepped up and matured
12:22over the summer and the way he's trained with us every day since, it's been incredible.
12:27The way he looks after himself, the way he prepares for matches. He's such a good kid
12:35and he's been brought up really well. His mum's unbelievable for him. She's such a nice
12:39lady as well. So it's no surprise that he's doing really well because he's got the right
12:43support network around him. He's got people at club that are pushing him. He's not too
12:46comfortable. He knows he needs to keep going.
12:49The other night when he knew he was starting, he didn't even know he was starting. No-one
12:53knew the team until the day. But he just took it in his stride and he played how he'd done
12:58for Arsenal all season. We have so many good left-backs in the country. We can't not mention
13:02Lewis Hall, who's been unbelievable for Newcastle this year. Obviously, sure, he's been injured
13:06but he's been unbelievable for England. In an England shirt, no-one's guaranteed a starting
13:11place in the England team. You need to be on it every time you come here and you need
13:15to be able to push to start. Miles is only 18. We can't put that emphasis on him straight
13:22away that he's going to be in England and start for the next 10 years. You don't want
13:24to put that pressure on him. Just let him keep playing, let him keep enjoying his football
13:28and I'm sure you're going to keep seeing the best of him. If he wants to keep being hungry
13:32and being the best he can be, he can definitely have a long England career for sure.
13:38The first time you spoke after joining Arsenal, you spoke about Ateta's influence and how
13:45smart he was on all and all and how it impacted you as well. How's it been, obviously, the
13:50first experience that you had with Tuko in terms of the tactics and how he wanted to
13:55put you into the squad and implement your quality into the squad as well?
13:59He's been unbelievable. He's very similar to Mikel in a way in terms of how he wants
14:03to work and the tactics he wants us to do. Like I said the other night, we set up for
14:10something different in terms of what we were expecting Albania to really press us high
14:14because they've done that a lot in the Euros. We'd worked on a lot in terms of how we're
14:18going to play out and it was a lot of similar stuff in terms of club, in terms of me being
14:22in the right positions and the same positions as club. Everything he's done has come natural,
14:27not really as a shock, which has been really nice. Also, he's putting more emphasis on
14:32us as well to take ownership on the pitch, which I really like in terms of if you see
14:36something that he hasn't spoken about, you take ownership and you do it. I think that's
14:41really, really good because you feel free on the pitch. If you see something, you get
14:44it done and as a group as well, you connect more. I think he's been really, really good.
14:49I think, like I said, over the next few games you're going to see us improving step by step
14:53and the more chance we get on the grass, the better.
14:56Thanks everyone. We'll end it there.
14:58Thanks guys. See you later.
15:02Thanks everyone.