DECLAN’S THE ANSWER AT BACK

IS DECLAN RICE the answer to England’s problems in defence? I suspect he could be. I see a centre back in the 20-year-old and that is where his future could lie for club and country, rather than being used solely in midfield. In the modern game, players are being told to pass it out from the back, and Rice is capable of executing that. He’d be more than happy to get on the ball and has the intelligence needed to form an effective centre back partnership. Watch West Ham and you’ll see this young man is excellent at what he does. In the Premier League this season, only two midfielders have made more tackles than Rice. He also ranks fourth for interceptions and seventh for ball recoveries. I believe he could apply those talents to central defence, too, while being the proficient passer Gareth Southgate wants. The England boss will have spent this weekend trying to figure out what the best balance is. After being stunned by the Czech Republic in Prague, and after conceding three goals against Kosovo at St Mary’s in a 5-3 win last month, there are big questions marks surrounding Southgate’s defence. Rice is likely to miss out against Bulgaria tonight due to illness, but using him at the back could be the long-term answer.