Declan Rice Confident in Set-Piece Delivery
Declan Rice has made 74 appearances for England and expresses strong confidence in his ability to assist from corners, stating he feels like he will get an assist "every time" he takes a corner. He also encourages England supporters to be "excited" about the team's prospects at the World Cup.
England demonstrated their threat from set-pieces during their 4-2 victory over Croatia in the tournament's opening match. Harry Kane scored the opening goal from the penalty spot after Noni Madueke was fouled following a Rice corner. Kane then scored a second goal by heading home from another Rice corner.
Rice, 27, was part of Arsenal's squad that scored from a record 19 corners last season, contributing to the club's first Premier League title in 22 years. Despite this success, Arsenal faced criticism for their pragmatic style and heavy reliance on set-pieces, having scored 25 goals from set-plays overall.
"Everyone's enjoying [set-pieces] now, aren't they? Everyone's enjoying them now," Rice said, speaking to at England's base in Kansas City.
Rice became Arsenal's designated set-piece taker in January 2024 after a mid-season training camp in Dubai. Since then, the Gunners have become known for their effectiveness from set-piece situations.
"I wouldn't ever take corners or set-pieces, but [set-piece coach] Nico [Jover] and the manager at Arsenal saw something in me that others didn't," Rice explained.
"They said that I can put balls in areas from a dead ball that no-one else can in the team at Arsenal other than Bukayo [Saka]. From that moment, I really just bought into that, believed in that.
As time has gone on I feel like now every time I put down a ball for a set-piece - whether it's a corner or a wide free-kick - I feel like I'm going to get an assist or make something happen that's dangerous.
That's a good mentality to have over set-pieces... and England fans can be excited."
As England's vice-captain at the tournament, Rice has established himself as one of the Premier League's most consistent corner takers. England manager Thomas Tuchel has emphasized playing football that mirrors the Premier League style.
Rice noted that the Three Lions have been working on set-pieces since Tuchel's appointment in January 2025, although tactical training has dominated sessions.
"We only get a small amount of time here to work on them because we have to work on loads of other stuff," Rice said.
"But also we've been putting this format and the way we're going to take set-pieces in since Thomas has come in.
A lot of the way we've taken them hasn't changed much in terms of the movements, the way I deliver the ball...
This has been going on in the lead-up for the past year, so the lads know what's coming... where I'm going to deliver the ball.
So there's a real gameplan and it's just on me to deliver and obviously the boys have to free themselves up in the box."
Reece James Addresses Fitness and Set-Piece Threats
Chelsea captain Reece James, another player capable of taking set-pieces, acknowledged the "huge threats" within the England squad. The 26-year-old, who worked with Tuchel at Chelsea, is participating in his first World Cup as England's first-choice right-back.
James has experienced multiple injuries throughout his career, leading to questions about his ability to maintain regular play with limited recovery time. Although he appeared to have overcome these issues, he sustained a hamstring injury at the end of the 2025-26 season, sidelining him for four weeks and causing him to miss England's matches against Japan and Uruguay.
James returned to Chelsea in time to be selected for the World Cup squad and concluded the season with 39 appearances across all competitions for his club.
"People always talk about injuries and availability, and to me it's so boring now," James said to 5 Live in Kansas City.
"I have one job, which is to be the best I can when I'm on the pitch. To be honest, I understand the stigma at the start, but after a while it gets boring.
I've been fit for a long time before my last injury, and I don't listen to too much noise.
I just focus on myself, my body, trying to perform the best I can and help the team I'm playing in."
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