Rice: DR Congo comeback felt unreal

Declan Rice has admitted England’s ‘unreal’ comeback victory over DR Congo at the FIFA World Cup 2026 is up there with the very best moments of his season.

The midfielder, who in May won the Premier League title with Arsenal and reached the UEFA Champions League final, played a vital role as the Three Lions won 2-1 in Atlanta in the round of 32.

Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to turn the game on its head, setting up a clash with co-hosts Mexico at Mexico City Stadium in the round of 16 on Sunday.

Asked where the game sits in his most special moments of the campaign on the latest episode of Lions’ Den Connected by EE, Rice said: “The feeling was unreal, just because obviously it was a late winner.

“In a knockout game you’re either in or you’re out, so it was really tense.

“I would definitely put that up there. Obviously I’ve had some amazing moments this season but I would put that up there for sure, just in terms of the feeling with the boys.”

Rice also discussed playing the final 20 minutes of the game at right-back, and revealed what he said to team-mate Ezri Konsa, who was alongside him on the Lions’ Den sofa.

“I’ve played there a few times this season, two or three times," he said. "If I’ve got to do a job, I’ll do a job. I don’t mind.

“But as soon as I went to right-back, I said to him [Konsa] straight away: ‘Make sure you play right next to me!’ because it’s tough.

“You’re obviously not playing in the position you’re used to but going forward it’s different. You had Bukayo [Saka], Ebs [Eberechi Eze] came on in the 10, so it was kind of like the connection we have at club [level], understanding each other’s movements.”

Asked what it was like to have Rice next to him, Konsa added: “It felt good, it felt secure.

“I believed in him. Like he said, he’s played there before. Everyone knows his qualities and what he’s about so I had no worries.

“He did something good in the corner. The composure he showed, I’d give him a solid seven [out of 10].”

The pair also had their say on the fan support they’ve experienced in North America and back home after watching videos of the wild celebrations across the country on Wednesday night.

Konsa said: “No matter who you play or where you play, whether it’s club or country, having the fans behind you is always important.

“It gives you that extra motivation, that extra step to get over the line. It was nice hearing them throughout the game and I’m glad we got the win for them and for us.”

“You obviously know you’re doing something really special,” Rice added. “You feel it from your friends, you see videos of the fans. Hopefully we can make them happy.”