Declan Rice names the one thing England are better at than every other World Cup nation
Declan Rice has insisted that England possess the best set of penalty takers at the World Cup, setting the Three Lions apart from every other nation in the tournament.
The Arsenal midfielder, who scored in a penalty shootout, believes England's collection of spot-kick specialists will prove crucial if their knockout ties require a shootout. Rice highlighted several players who give England a significant edge.
"I look at this group now and I don't think there's a better crop of penalty takers that England have probably ever had. To be honest with you, I think I look at Harry, I look at Ivan, I look at Marcus, look at Anthony Gordon, Saka, I can take one, Jude," Rice said. "We have real strong takers and I feel like as the tournament goes on you obviously hear the stat about you have to win a penalty shootout to get to a final or to win the tournament. So we're going to be fully prepared for that."
Rice explained that England's penalty-taking strength lies in their approach and mentality. He praised Harry Kane in particular, highlighting the captain's meticulous preparation and unwavering belief.
"I think with Harry it is incredible repetition and his process. Before the game's even played, the day before he knows if he gets a penalty the next day where he's going. There's no doubt in his mind. And I feel like that's what it's like with a lot of the lads. They would look at the keepers and study, but they have so much belief in their own process and technique that they're going to score," Rice said.
Rice revealed he has gained confidence from the spot over time, citing his Champions League final performance. He described his approach as methodical, studying goalkeeper tendencies.
"I've never been the strongest penalty-taker, but I feel like over time, in my penalty in the Champions League final, I've never been so confident for a penalty. I studied the keeper on where he thought I would have been because my last couple of pens have been the other side. But I felt really calm," Rice added.