Former Tottenham Hotspur man Rafael van der Vaart has criticized Arsenal and England star Declan Rice for his performances in the 2024 European Championship (EURO 2024). He called Rice “useless”, claiming the £105 million ($136 million)-man did not know how to pass the ball forward.
Rafael van der Vaart Calls Arsenal & England Ace Declan Rice Useless
England suffered a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the EURO 2024 final at the Olympiastadion. Nico Williams opened the scoring for Spain in the 47th minute before Cole Palmer equalized for the Three Lions in the 73rd. La Roja looked wobbly for a few minutes after conceding but they eventually regained control and claimed a 2-1 win thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal’s toe-poke in the 86th minute.
Except for Palmer, who scored an excellent goal from outside the box, almost all England players have received criticism for the way they performed against Spain. Van der Vaart has gone after Rice, claiming the midfielder is not worthy of his lofty price tag as he never played the ball forward.
Speaking to NOS, Van der Vaart said (via GOAL):
“€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 Did Not Get The Chance To Settle In At EURO 2024
Coming off a brilliant campaign with Arsenal, Rice enjoyed a strong start to the EURO 2024 campaign. Against Group C rivals Serbia, Denmark, and Slovenia, he ran the show from the middle of the park, dictating the tempo of the game. However, since Gareth Southgate opted for a double-pivot system to give Jude Bellingham freedom at the top of the midfield, Rice’s performance heavily depended on his midfield partner. Unfortunately, he did not get enough time to bond with one.
Southgate started Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Rice in the first two games. After he failed to hold his own against natural midfielders, Conor Gallagher took his place. The Chelsea man also failed to deliver, leading to Kobbie Mainoo’s introduction. The Manchester United youngster played well, but his expeditions higher up the field denied Rice the opportunity to push forward himself.
Rice, by trait, plays as a metronome. So, he is not one to attempt too many risky forward passes. However, his performances could have been a lot better, and possibly to Van de Vaart’s liking, had he gotten the chance to bond with a fixed partner in midfield.
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