{"id":37093,"date":"2026-06-24T21:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/declan-rice-pays-ultimate-tribute-to-harry-kane-after-strong-start-to-world-cup\/"},"modified":"2026-06-24T21:24:26","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T21:24:26","slug":"declan-rice-pays-ultimate-tribute-to-harry-kane-after-strong-start-to-world-cup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eplvip.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/24\/declan-rice-pays-ultimate-tribute-to-harry-kane-after-strong-start-to-world-cup\/","title":{"rendered":"Declan Rice pays ultimate tribute to Harry Kane after strong start to World Cup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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England captain Harry Kane scored twice in the opening game against Croatia According to Declan Rice, Harry Kane is on par with other strikers at the World Cup.<\/h2>\n
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00:37, June 23, 2026<\/span>Updated June 23, 2026 00:37<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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Rice claims Kane can match the best players in the world (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n
Declan Rice says he will tell his children he played with Harry Kane because he is a legend in English football. England midfielder Rice clearly believes the Bayern Munich superstar can compete against any striker at the World Cup.<\/p>\n
And while Rice admitted that Kane’s brilliance sometimes made him a star player himself, he insisted England could continue to win all summer.<\/p>\n
Rice said: “He’s one of those players that when kids grow up they can say they need to play alongside Harry Kane. For me, that’s unbelievable.”<\/p>\n
“He’s one of the very lucky players for me, firstly because he’s our captain, and secondly because of how he sets an example every day and trains hard.<\/p>\n
“It’s no surprise to me how good he is, considering the goals he scored in training, what he did for Bayern Munich and what he did in an England shirt. It was a pleasure to play with him.”<\/p>\n
England got off to a winning start in the group stage, but Rice said they will face a tough test against Ghana but are determined to win and believe they can beat anyone.<\/p>\n
Rice said: “We’re just as motivated, if not more motivated, to win. Harry has said before that we didn’t necessarily have a great result in the second leg, but we have to get it right.”<\/p>\n
\u201cLooking back at the second half, it was probably the best first half of football we\u2019ve played under Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat performance is the benchmark right now and if we continue to play like that we will be able to play against anyone and we should be confident in our abilities and believe that we can beat anyone in this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Declan Rice and Harry Kane during the match against Croatia (Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Rice also says he will face a difficult battle with former Arsenal teammate Thomas Partey, who he plays in midfield.<\/p>\n
Rice added: “I played against Thomas, so I also played for Thomas Arsenal, who is a really good player, but I also played with a lot of the Ghana national team. And like I said in the clip, I know what they bring.”<\/p>\n
“They will bring strength and pace. They are going to catch us on the counter attack. So, yeah, we have to be ready for everything. But also, we have played a lot of games against them. The players already know what will happen tomorrow.”<\/p>\n
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The whole country is watching with bated breath as England take on their next rivals Ghana in the 2026 World Cup. We’re offering a \u00a33 free bet valid on all football matches, including the big matches, in your favorite paper on Tuesday 23 June 2026!<\/p>\n
![\"Declan](\"https:\/\/i2-prod.mirror.co.uk\/article37333342.ece\/ALTERNATES\/s1200f\/0_England-v-Croatia-Group-L-FIFA-World-Cup-2026.jpg\")
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