Declan Rice’s unseen role in penalty shootout victory over Switzerland emerges

Declan Rice proved pivotal in England’s penalty shootout win over Switzerland – despite not taking a spot-kick in the quarter-final clash.

That’s the view of Three Lions star Luke Shaw, who has commented on the crucial role the Arsenal midfielder played from the halfway line.

Rice was one of England‘s better performers against Switzerland, where he played the entire match, before watching diligently from the centre-circle as his side ran out 5-3 winners in the shootout.

And while he wasn’t selected by boss Gareth Southgate to be one of England’s five takers, Shaw has insisted his role was just as important.

The Manchester United left-back, who came off the bench for his first appearance of the tournament, disclosed: “Dec was our speaker.

“[He] was keeping everyone calm, calming everyone down, telling everyone to do their breathing techniques and manifest.

“It was needed.”

His words clearly did the trick, as Cole Palmer, Jude Bellingham, Bukayo Saka, Ivan Toney and Trent Alexander-Arnold all expertly dispatched from 12 yards.

But Rice wasn’t the only non-taker to help contribute in the shootout, with Shaw revealing that Kyle Walker offered advice to goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The Manchester City man is claimed to have told the Everton shot-stopper to dive to his left for Citizens teammate Manuel Akanji‘s effort – which he did.

Though it’s likely that Pickford was already going to dive there to make his save, with his penalty cheat sheet on his water bottle telling him to go down low.

Shaw said of Walker: “I think Walks helped him a little bit. I could see Walks was pointing to his left.

“Walks was pointing to that side and it gave him extra help. I think he was already going that way, but it gave him some extra help to know where to go.”

England are now gearing up to face the Netherlands in Wednesday night’s semi-final – live on talkSPORT.

And Rice is poised to be deployed in the No.6 role yet again, which would allow midfield partner Kobbie Mainoo the license to roam forward.

It’s a system that ex-England striker Gary Lineker believes the former West Ham skipper is thriving in.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, he said: “I think he is under appreciated.

“There are a lot of people going get Rice off, I don’t think they see the work that he does with his interceptions and all that.

“Could he improve his passing breaking the lines? Yes. But when you have Mainoo liking to go forward and Bellingham and [Phil] Foden you need that anchor.”

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