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What's the story?
After coming on as a substitute for the Three Lions last week, Declan Rice is set to start against Montenegro tonight. The 20-year-old has earned praise for his performances in the English Premier League this season and that earnt him a place in Gareth Southgate's squad.
In case you didn't know...
Rice represented the Republic of Ireland at youth levels before deciding to play for England at a senior level. He made his debut against the Czech Republic where England beat their opponents 5-0. The Three Lions will be looking to repeat their high level of performance tonight as they prepare for Euro 2020.
Recently, the West Ham United player earnt praise from his manager. Manuel Pellegrini has claimed that Rice is the best holding midfielder for England and has the potential to develop rapidly in his position. Rice made his full professional debut for the London club back in 2017 and has gone on to become a consistent starter under Pellegrini.
The heart of the matter
Since the likes of Steven Gerrard and Wayne Rooney retired from international duty, the younger generation has begun to step up. Southgate has a pool of talents to choose from including the Jadon Sancho, Reiss Nelson and Rice. Marcus Rashford has been one of the rare gems and inspirational figures for the youngsters.
The 21-year-old forward started playing for the England national team back in 2016 and his market value has soared since then. Many teams in the EPL have been promoting their youth academy players into the first-team action and Rice is one of them who has benefitted from West Ham academy. As more youngsters gain experience, the England manager gets the chance to call them up for international duty, giving rise to more opportunities for players such as Rice to star on the international stage.
What's next?
With Rice expected to start tonight, Southgate will be eager to see the player's development and suitability to play in next year's Euro competition.
