Declan Rice blasts hypocritical treatment of England teammate
- Rice passionately defends Trent Alexander-Arnold after intense criticism
- England expected to change team and start Conor Gallagher against Slovenia
- Three Lions have already progressed to knockout stage
Declan Rice has scolded the critics of Trent Alexander-Arnold for 'backtracking' on their calls for him to play in midfield.
Prior to Euro 2024 getting under way, there was a swathe of support for Alexander-Arnold's inclusion in a central midfield role, with many feeling he was too talented to act as Kyle Walker's understudy at right-back.
But after England's disjointed performances against Serbia and Denmark - the latter of which saw the Three Lions held to a frustrating 1-1 draw - Alexander-Arnold's selection has been a hot topic of discussion.
The 25-year-old has been replaced by Conor Gallagher in both games, with England struggling to press with any intensity, and Gareth Southgate now looks likely to drop Alexander-Arnold for the final group game against Slovenia.
Amid a wave of negativity, Alexander-Arnold does have a strong ally in England teammate Rice, who told ITV of his bewilderment at how the Liverpool utility star has been treated.
"It's funny because people were calling for Trent to play in midfield," Rice said. "Half the country are calling for Trent to play in midfield. You play him in midfield and you want to bring him down. I don't get it. I don't get it at all.
"I'll defend all of my boys until I never put on an England shirt. Trent is one of the best players I've ever seen. Don't call for someone to play in a position and then backtrack all because you think he's had a bad game or something. I'll tell you now, Trent can play in midfield.
He added: "I've seen it at England, I've seen it for Liverpool. He's unbelievable. That's what I say to the people that you see say this type of stuff."
England head into Tuesday night's game with their place in the knockout stages already secure, but victory is essential to avoid a potential clash with hosts Germany in the last 16.
Three points would instead set up a date with a side that finishes third in Group D, Group E or Group F - the exact opponent not yet known as the group stage concludes on Wednesday night.
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