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Despite starring for England and Ireland, one of Declan Rice's teammates believes the hype around the Three Lions' star is over the top
Former Republic of Ireland star James McClean has made headlines with his critical view of Declan Rice, labelling the Arsenal midfielder as "overrated."
McClean, who played alongside Rice during the Arsenal star’s brief spell in the Irish national team, shared his thoughts on RTE Sport ahead of England’s second Euro 2024 fixture against Denmark.
McClean criticises Rice hype
"I think Declan Rice is overrated," McClean stated. "Don't get me wrong, I think he's a very good footballer, but the way the English media wax lyrical about him is completely over the top. For me, he's not world class. To me, world class is someone who gets in every side in the world. I don't think he does that."
The Wrexham star did not hold back when comparing Rice to other top defensive midfielders like Manchester City's Rodri and Real Madrid's Toni Kroos, explaining why the Arsenal man is not on the level of the others, saying, "To me, Toni Kroos is world class. He dictates the game, Rodri dictates the game. I don't think Declan Rice does that.
"Someone who gets it on the half turn, plays passes forward. He's very good at what he does, but for the hype that surrounds him I don't think it's justified."
McClean unconvinced of Rice’s quality after Ireland switch
Rice has been instrumental for England, helping them reach the final of the last Euros and the quarter-finals of the World Cup, but McClean remains unconvinced about Rice’s quality, adding, "If you're going to give him this much hype and reputation, surely he should be able to do what they do. He sees danger and he puts out fires, but for the hype that surrounds him I don't think it's justified."
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Rice's choice to switch allegiance from Ireland to England in 2019 might have played a part in McClean’s judgement of the Arsenal star, who represented The Boys in Green at various youth levels and made three senior appearances, before deciding to play for The Three Lions is still a source of controversy between both countries.
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