Declan Rice has admitted his Euro 2020 disappointment "drives me on a lot" - as the West Ham star looks to go far in Qatar.
Rice, 23, was hauled off by England manager Gareth Southgate in the 74th minute of the Euro 2020 final against Italy in July 2021. He was replaced by Jordan Henderson in a like-for-like switch, which suggests the change was a result of his performance on the day.
England went on to lose the final at Wembley on penalties, although Rice has bounced back from that day. The Hammers captain has established himself as Southgate's first-choice central midfielder and has started all three of England's World Cup games so far.
"It drives me on a lot," Rice told reporters when asked about his snub. "You don't want to get taken off in any game, let alone in the final. The manager saw something and that is absolutely fine.
"We've got such good players in the group and if we win the World Cup, that is all I want to happen. If the manger thinks he sees something tactically, that's fine, he's the manager."
Rice was hooked off in England's 3-0 win against neighbours Wales on Tuesday, although they were already two goals to the good and the substitution was made to give him a rest. England's campaign continues on Sunday when they face Senegal in the last 16.
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Rice was happy for Southgate to bring him off and manage his workload. He added: "I've not had a conversation with the manager yet, but I think that was to manage my load. It started to open up at 2-0 but he took me off and it was a nice comfortable victory.
"My record of playing games speaks for itself, I have played 50-60 games consistently for three years. I keep myself fresh. If I am needed for seven 90 minutes, I know I can put myself in a position to do that."
Southgate has five central midfielders at his disposal in Qatar. Jordan Henderson, 32, offers the team plenty of experience after representing his country at the previous five major tournaments - a run stretching more than 10 years - and captaining Liverpool.
Jude Bellingham is arguably England's most exciting central midfielder. The Borussia Dortmund star, 19, is already a regular for club and country. He scored a brilliant header in England's opening game of the World Cup and is strong both defensively and offensively.
Kalvin Phillips is another good option after playing a key role in England's run to the final of Euro 2020. The 26-year-old was named as England's Men's Player of the Year after that tournament, which is a huge honour considering it was the country's best performance at a men's major international tournament since their World Cup triumph in 1966.
Conor Gallagher is Southgate's final central midfield option. The 22-year-old is unlikely to play - unless an injury crisis unfolds - but is still an impressive young player. He's broken into Chelsea's first team this season and won the U17 World Cup in 2017.
