"He's the happiest person around the place" - England star lauds Bukayo Saka's matchwinning display in 6-2 Iran win in 2022 FIFA World Cup
Declan Rice has lavished his England teammate Bukayo Saka with praise following their emphatic win over Iran at the FIFA World Cup.
The Three Lions got off to the perfect start in Qatar with a 6-2 victory over a desperate Iran team, with Saka netting a brace.
The Arsenal winger has been in spectacular form this term, was rewarded with a start by Gareth Southgate, and quickly repaid his boss.
What A Feeling 🤩 https://t.co/uHJmdWlSF4
It signals a remarkable comeback for the 21-year-old, who missed the decisive penalty during England's shootout defeat to Italy in last summer's European Championship final.
Rice, who also starred in the win, told reporters after the game (as per The Mirror):
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done. It says everything about his strength of character."
He added:
“You saw what happened last summer, everyone was with him then. He’s flourishing with Arsenal. He’s playing with a smile on his face. You see him around the training ground, he is the happiest person around the place. We’re all so happy for him.”
Saka wasn't the only player to miss out in that shootout to score against Iran, with Marcus Rashford coming off the bench to also add to the emphatic win.
🗣️| Declan Rice on Bukayo Saka:
“It’s unbelievable what he’s done. It says everything about his strength of character. You saw what happened last summer, everyone was with him then. He’s flourishing with Arsenal. He’s playing with a smile on his face.” [@MirrorFootball] https://t.co/eGwVzFSbd2
England star Declan Rice claims experience at European Champions will live with him 'forever'
Following their opening victory at the FIFA World Cup, Rice expressed his pride at representing his country once again at a major tournament.
The West Ham captain proclaimed:
“I am so happy and so proud. We got the win as well so it is a really special day. I feel in a good place. I feel the support and love from the fans, the coaching staff and my team-mates. That is all I need. I feel ready to give 100% and I will continue to do that every time I put the shirt on."
He continued:
"We needed that good start. We haven't played the best coming into the tournament. There was a lot of talk and speculation about our form but we showed everyone how much quality we have and what we can do."
After their last game in a major tournament, Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford suffered racial abuse for missing penalties in the Euro final.
Today, they both scored in England’s World Cup opener ❤️ https://t.co/KKoHHRJoYh
He further added:
“What happened at the Euros will live with me forever, but I am so blessed to have coaching staff at England and Arsenal to put their arms around me and support me and help me get back into a good place and go again. I want to get back to a place where I can do my best and make the nation proud.”