Harry Kane says he has ‘special feeling’ Arsenal star will shine at World Cup

Harry Kane says he has a ‘special feeling’ about Declan Rice ahead of the World Cup, tipping the England midfielder to take the tournament by storm with his ‘experience’, ‘mindset’ and ‘physicality’.

Rice was confirmed as the Three Lions’ vice-captain earlier this week and enters this summer’s spectacle as one of Thomas Tuchel’s star men and most trusted lieutenants.

The 27-year-old – who has been capped 72 times by his country – enjoyed an outstanding season with Arsenal and will no doubt be looking to carry his club form into the international arena over the coming weeks.

Having lifted the Premier League trophy with the Gunners just last month, Rice has been forced to quickly switch his focus to England duty – with the chance to lift the most prestigious piece of silverware of all up for grabs.

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The former West Ham man managed as far as the quarter-finals in his first World Cup appearance four years ago, as England were beaten to a semi-final spot by the eventual runners-up France.

And after a pair of runners-up finishes in successive European Championships under Gareth Southgate, Rice and Co will be hoping Tuchel can be the man to lead steer the squad to glory at long last.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, England captain Kane explained why he believed Arsenal’s all-action midfielder was perfectly positioned to help the Three Lions bring 60 years of hurt to an end.

Asked which of his team-mates in particular he was tipping to perform well, Kane replied: ‘Oh, that’s a good question! I look at someone like Dec.

‘I feel like he’s consistently been playing at a high level for a long period of time.

‘He’s getting to that kind of age where you start to mix the experience plus the physical attributes that he brings.

‘You have the mindset, maybe that shifts a little bit, and obviously it’s not his first tournament.

‘All those things add up so yeah, if I had to say anyone…’

The Bayern Munich centre-forward added: ‘First and foremost I hope he has a great tournament but yeah, I have a special feeling about him this summer.’

Rice joined up with his team-mates at their training camp in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday evening and could be in contention to play a part in tonight’s warm-up match with Costa Rica.

‘Declan and Harry are the two guys with the armband,’ Tuchel told reporters at his pre-match press conference.

‘Harry is our captain – no doubt about it. And Declan is our second captain. When Harry wasn’t in camp and didn’t play against Wales, we had a choice, and it was a very quick one from me to give it to Declan.’

According to the England head coach, Rice has established himself as ‘one of the best midfielders’ in European football with his ‘outstanding form’ over the last two years.

‘He has a high football IQ. He takes care of the formation and structure, the adaptation, and the rhythm of our game,’ the German added.

‘He’s had two outstanding seasons with Arsenal and was one of their main players in their Champions League campaign.

‘He’s one of the best midfielders in Europe at the moment, full of confidence. That’s why he is my vice-captain.’

Asked if England are among the favourites to lift the World Cup, Tuchel replied: ‘How many favourites are there?

‘No, we’re not the top favourites. We can’t be because we haven’t won it for so many years.

‘There are proven winners in the tournament with more success. We compete, we dream big and we know what it takes. Responsibility is on the effort and that is where the focus is.

‘We see ourselves as competitors and challengers. We want to go all the way but I don’t think we are the heavy favourites.’

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