Rafael Van Der Vaart: In what was yet another painful night for the English fans who were desperate to see the team end their 58-year-long wait for a major tournament victory, many players are now being criticised for their performance in the finals.
Former Spurs player Rafael Van Der Vaart has heavily lashed out at Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice questioning his heavy price tag and stating that is ‘useless.’
"100M Euros 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," said Rafael Van Der Vaart on Dutch TV outlet NOS.
Rice has been one of the leading faces of English football in the past two years. The midfielder signed for Arsenal for 100 Million euros before the 2023/24 season and was a vita cog in Milel Arteta’s side which finished second in the league.
He failed to showcase his dominance in the finals against a very good opposing side who hardly let England impose any footing in the game. Despite the performance in the finals, Rice has been an important member of Southgate’s squad and was of utmost importance in the team.
Rice has been one of the leading faces of English football in the past two years. The midfielder signed for Arsenal for 100 Million euros before the 2023/24 season and was a vita cog in Milel Arteta’s side which finished second in the league.
"It is a hard defeat for England to take but in some ways, it is a victory for attacking football," said the English legend to BBC.