Manchester United legend Roy Keane has suggested Arsenal and England star Declan Rice is too sensitive to criticism, warning him the snark remarks will not subside until the Three Lions fix their act.
Declan Rice Hit Out At Critics Ahead Of England’s EURO 2024 Showdown Against Slovenia
Ahead of England’s final Group C match against Slovenia on Tuesday night (June 25), Rice asked fans and pundits to mellow their tone. The midfielder advocated the power of positive reinforcement, saying it would be a lot more helpful if fans stood in their corner instead of pointing out their mistakes.
The 25-year-old said (via Metro):
“We’re talking like we’re going out of the tournament here. We’re top of the group, we need to stay positive, stay upbeat. Let’s have some positivity going into games.
“Let’s give players the best confidence in the world. Players like Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, and Jude Bellingham, tell them they’re the best players in the world. Make them read that and think ‘I’m going to go out there and perform and give it absolutely everything’, rather than reading the negative comments sitting on their mind and then thinking that they can’t play a certain way.”
Roy Keane Claims Declan Rice & Co. Are Too Sensitive
Unfortunately for Rice, not everyone took his advice, with Manchester United icon Keane branding him “delicate” instead. Before kick-off against Slovenia, Keane said on ITV Sport:
“The modern player seems to be a bit more delicate to criticism. I know there’s more of it because of social media particularly, but again these players… I judge players by their actions.
“And we know how quickly football changes. If England put on a good performance or win tonight. Declan Rice is talking about, ‘show some love’. Listen, come on, it’s serious stuff. This is football stuff. People have made huge sacrifices to travel.”
He concluded by adding:
“You get the love back when you perform. We all played at a decent level and when things are going great people are patting you on the back, but the reality is if you’re not performing you get criticized.”
Unfortunately, Rice and Co. did not do themselves any favors by playing out a disappointing goalless draw against Slovenia. They still managed to top their group with five points, but fans expected a lot more commanding display from one of the most star-studded teams in the world.
