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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has showered praise on newly appointed England manager Thomas Tuchel, highlighting the German’s charisma and ability to connect with players in just a short time.
Tuchel took over from Gareth Southgate and faces the daunting task of guiding England to World Cup glory in North America next year. He began his tenure with a 2-0 qualifying win over Albania on Friday and will now lead the team into their next fixture against Latvia on Monday.
Despite only working with Tuchel for a week, Rice believes the manager has already made a huge impact on the squad.
“I think just how he is as a person, his whole character, he’s been amazing,” Rice said. “On the training pitch, how he puts his arm around you, just makes you feel loved and welcome.
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“As a player, that’s such a special thing—to feel loved by your manager. It gives you the confidence to go out there and really perform.
“He’s done that with a lot of players this week. The way training has been, it’s been really high level. The energy has been really high, and that comes from him because of how he is as a character, his charisma.”
Jorden Henderson, Thomas Tuchel and Declan Rice
Declan Rice also emphasised Tuchel’s focus on the long-term goal of winning the World Cup.
“We have one goal—to get to the World Cup and then get the second star on the shirt. I think he’s been massive on that. We’re all on the same page and we’re all together in that.”
Monday’s Group K qualifier will be England’s first-ever meeting with Latvia, and while the opposition remains largely unknown to many, Rice has a personal connection with Latvia’s goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics.
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The Arsenal star and Matrevics, nicknamed “King Kong” in his home country, were once teammates in West Ham’s academy, even sharing accommodation during their time at the club.
“When he came to West Ham, it was like, ‘Wow, this guy’s a beast’. And he couldn’t speak much English at the time, but by the end, it was unbelievable,” Declan Rice recalled.
He also shared a lighthearted memory of their time together.
“We had a lot of free time, and we’d go out for food and go to Nando’s in Romford because we stayed in Essex. He’d have to duck down to get underneath the door. He was such a good guy.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him tomorrow because it’s been a long time.”
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