Declan Rice has given Harry Kane a strong public endorsement before England's meeting with Ghana. Rice said it has been an honour to play with Kane, and the praise went well beyond the usual captaincy line. He described Kane as the kind of player you will tell kids about when you are older, then added that he leads by example every day and pushes the squad in training.

Kane's standards in camp

Rice's full quote did the heavy lifting. He said: "I'm very fortunate. One, he's our captain, but two: how he leads by example every day, how he pushes in training. It is not a surprise to me how good he is just because of the goals he scores in training, what he's been doing at Bayern München, what he's been doing in an England shirt. It has been an honour to play with him."

That is a cleaner read on Kane than the one that gets lost in his goal totals. Rice was talking about the daily standard, the training work and the example he sets inside the camp, which is usually where captains earn the real trust of their teammates. He also said Kane is one of those players you will be telling the kids about when you are older, which is about as direct a compliment as you get from a senior teammate.

The numbers fit the picture too. Kane has 2 goals in 184 minutes across his 2 World Cup appearances, with a 7.32 rating. Rice has been steady as well, posting a 7.02 rating, 1 assist and 162 minutes across his 2 appearances.

England's position before Ghana

England are top of Group L with 4 points from 2 matches, so a win over Ghana would keep their knockout path under control. Rice also said the group have been reminded that England's last couple of tournaments brought second-game draws after opening wins, so the message inside camp has been about starting fast again rather than drifting into caution.

The wider backdrop gives Rice's comments a bit more weight. Kane is set for his 116th senior cap against Ghana, and he drew level with Gary Lineker on 10 World Cup goals in the opening win over Croatia. Peter Shilton has also backed him to break his cap record, saying Kane plays properly and acts like a professional.

For England, though, the immediate point is simpler. Rice has made it clear that Kane is not just the captain or the scorer, but the player setting the tone every day. Ghana is next, and England can seal their place in the next round with a win.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →