Declan Rice Reflects On England's High Pressure To Win Euro 2024

England are eager to secure victory at Euro 2024, but Declan Rice believes the Three Lions may be placing excessive pressure on themselves. Gareth Southgate and his team have faced significant media scrutiny following lacklustre performances in their matches so far. England narrowly defeated Serbia 1-0 in their Group C opener before drawing 1-1 with Denmark on Thursday.

Despite leading their group ahead of facing Slovenia, England's attacking play has not matched the standard set by other impressive teams in the tournament. Rice suggests that the added pressure is counterproductive. "We are all so desperate to win, to be leaders, to go out there and give people memories for lifetimes," he said. "Sometimes I feel like we put too much pressure on ourselves where we could just go out there and let it take care of itself."

Rice acknowledges that there is room for improvement both in and out of possession, which he views as a positive. He also notes that external expectations have increased due to the successful seasons many players have had. "If you look at the goals our front four have scored this year, it's over 100 between them," Rice stated. "Of course, there is expectation because they are the best players in the world."

England's performances have seen them drop from being Euro 2024 favourites, according to Opta's supercomputer, to the third-most likely team to win the tournament, behind France and hosts Germany. England will conclude their Group C campaign against Slovenia on Tuesday.