Ahead of England's UEFA Nations League A Group 6 away match against Spain, England midfielder Rice attended a press conference to answer media questions. In the second part of the press conference, Rice discussed the threat of Yamal, Spain's 43-match unbeaten streak, and England's preparations for facing the world champions. He also analyzed the team's progress in attack and expressed confidence in beating Spain.
Reporter: Hello, Declan, nice to greet you. Lamine (Yamal) will return to Spain's starting lineup tomorrow night. How are you preparing for this game? Because one can imagine that Lamine playing is both an extra challenge and a worrying factor for England tomorrow.
Rice: Yes, I think it's always a very special occasion when you come up against one of the best players in the world like Lamine Yamal. You want to play against the best players, you want to play against the best teams. We're not going to just focus our game plan on Lamine Yamal, because they've got another 10 players who are world champions, play for top clubs, have won countless honors, and are also world-class players. If we only focus on Lamine Yamal, that would be a huge mistake. But there's no denying, talking about him, hearing from players who have played alongside him, what a great person he is, what a top player he is. So, playing against him again tomorrow night will be a real test and a game I'm really looking forward to.
Reporter: Hi, Declan. First of all, congratulations on being named GQ's inaugural Man of the Year this week. Back to football, in the Nations League alone, Spain have scored four goals in the final stages of matches – from the 75th minute onwards. Do the coach or you personally have any way to prepare for this? It's hard to maintain mental focus after playing so many games. How do you prepare to deal with this ability to solve problems in the closing stages of a match, as Arteta described?
Rice: Did they score four goals in the last 15 minutes?
Reporter: Yes, only in Nations League matches.
Rice: Yes, that shows their attacking prowess and talent. As just mentioned, you can talk about Lamine Yamal, but the other attackers they have are all very special players. In these games, you need to be firing on all cylinders for 90 minutes, you can't be distracted for a moment, you have to be mentally ready at all times. I remember last month's game was an end-to-end battle, the game really opened up, and there were many chances. That's exactly what I expect for tomorrow night: with our attacks and their attacks, I think it will be a highly entertaining and exciting contest, and a great test for the players involved.
Reporter: Hi, Declan. Spain are currently unbeaten in 43 consecutive matches. There's a debate now about whether Spain is the best national team in history. I want to ask you, do you think they are? Is England a team that can end Spain's unbeaten run?
Rice: The best national team in history... I don't know, that would obviously be a debate. They have a resilient mentality of continuous progress and constant winning. For you Spanish fans, watching the national team now must be very enjoyable. We will undoubtedly face an extremely strong team tomorrow night, and tomorrow night we will see what level England are at when facing the world champions. We are ready.
Reporter: Hi, Declan. After the World Cup semi-final loss, everyone must have been very disappointed. How would you evaluate the team's progress? What is the biggest area of improvement, or what are you currently most focused on improving, to ensure you can get over the finish line against top teams?
Rice: Yes, if you look back at last month's game, the attacking threat clearly increased. In the World Cup, we faced a lot of low blocks, and everyone was questioning whether we could break down low blocks. Last month, we did very well in terms of scoring goals and attacking threat, and that's also the message from the coach: with the personnel and quality we have in attack, we must go full throttle at the opponent. We have focused on these in training, giving players the freedom to play in attack as they do at their clubs.
When you play for England, you might feel extra pressure, but playing alongside these excellent teammates, you should be able to form a good understanding. When you have in-form players like Kane, Gordon, Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, you only need one night for the attack to fully explode, and I think tomorrow night could be one of those nights.
Reporter: Kane has always been a superstar, but now he has not only broken the England appearance record but also officially received official recognition for the Ballon d'Or. He must be in an extremely excited state now. How does this success transmit to the entire camp? This must also bring a fantastic atmosphere to you.
Rice: Yes, it's incredible. The Ballon d'Or trophy was in the dining room the other day, and it was really special to see it in person. Harry is an incredibly humble person, if you don't ask him, you wouldn't even realize he won the Ballon d'Or, he never brings it up himself.
Many players want to know what that experience is like. 126 appearances for England, the team's all-time leading scorer, Ballon d'Or winner, we are playing alongside a true legend of the sport, and we cannot take these moments for granted. We feel very lucky to play with him, and we must cherish every opportunity.
Reporter: Hello, Declan. Playing under Arteta, surrounded by Spanish players like Merino and Martín Zubimendi, have you absorbed some Spanish football style in your game? On the other hand, do you think England can end Spain's unbeaten run?
Rice: Yes, absolutely. Regarding the second question, that's exactly why we're here, we believe we can absolutely beat Spain tomorrow night. In the first leg last month, we could have beaten Spain, but some silly mistakes cost us the game.
Regarding learning from the Spanish players at Arsenal, Arteta always instills a Spanish style: don't rush the pass, don't always mechanically take one or two touches, he wants players to control the ball, think forward, run forward, and dictate the tempo of the game. Seeing Merino, Martín Zubimendi play, and also goalkeeper David Raya's special ability with his feet, I am very lucky to play alongside them every week.
Reporter: Hello, Declan. Many people say that tomorrow's match is the highest-level clash currently seen at national team level. Do you agree that the two best national teams in the world will face off tomorrow?
Rice: Tomorrow night is undoubtedly a clash between the two best teams in the world today. Look at the paper rosters of both teams, they are packed with the best players in the world. Of course, you can't ignore France, you can't ignore the Netherlands, you can't ignore Germany, and many other teams are also competing at this level. But without a doubt, England versus Spain is a football feast, and the stars and talent of both teams will surely give fans a visual treat. The key is for us to go out on the pitch and perform, and hopefully tomorrow night we can deliver a fantastic evening and win the game here.