Wayne Rooney believes Declan Rice will be future England captain after hailing his impressive display vs Everton.
After witnessing the 26-year-old assist the Gunners return to the top of the Premier League with a victory at Everton, former England striker Wayne Rooney praised Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as a “future captain” of the Three Lions.
Rooney, who served as England’s captain for three years, from 2014 to 2017, was present at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday night to watch Mikel Arteta’s team pull off a valiant 1-0 victory.
In the absence of current captain Harry Kane, Rice, who has 72 senior international caps, has taken the armband twice: once in a 2-2 draw with Belgium in March 2024 and once in a 3-0 victory against Wales in October of this year.
“For me, he’s the one who’s probably waiting for Harry to hang up his boots at some point,” Rooney said in the latest episode of BBC Sport’s The Wayne Rooney Show.
“He was all over the pitch [against Everton]. His decision-making – when to pass it, where to pass it, what foot to pass it to, his detail on his pass – it was a pleasure to watch. He was absolutely incredible.
“He was splitting centre-backs, taking the ball off [Arsenal’s] centre-backs, acting as a third centre-back, then next minute he’s in the box, trying to score a goal. Sometimes, some of the stuff he does is a bit underrated.
“He’s the right one to take over [Kane] for me, because [of] his drive, his personality. Everyone seems to love him, who knows him, who’s close to him. He’s irreplaceable for England.”