Gary Neville insists Declan Rice needs to play further up the field after looking “nervous” in England’s draw against Denmark at Euro 2024.
Gareth Southgate’s side remain unbeaten and top of Group C on four points and on the brink of progress to the last 16.
But Neville is adamant Rice is not at the same level as some of the best holding midfielders in Europe when picking the ball up from the back line and claims Southgate could learn from how Mikel Arteta handled him for Arsenal towards the end of the season.
“Arteta moved Declan Rice out of that position for the last 15 games of the season because he's not that good at playing there,” Neville told ITV Football.
“Today is the most nervous I've seen Declan Rice. I think he's better moving up the pitch.
“Think about what Kroos and Rodri and Vitinha does for Portugal, these players who get the team playing... Every team that's great has this type of player. We don't have that, Mainoo maybe, Wharton? We have to resolve that problem. I'm talking England generally. We've never been able to get out from the back in moments of pressure.
“When he goes to receive the ball deep with his back to play, I think he's quite basic at that. I don't think he's as good as the other players who play that position. When he's brilliant, he's marauding forward, he's up on top of the game, he's aggressive. Most of his touches were in that high left channel. For some reason we don't have that balance in midfield and it's a massive problem.”
