Declan Rice opens up about ‘Behind the scenes’ issue that made Thomas Tuchel sub him off at the World Cup

Declan Rice has candidly spoken about his injury issues.

Things got off to a flying start for England in the FIFA 2026 World Cup, with Thomas Tuchel’s side securing a 4-2 victory against Croatia. However, while there were plenty of positives to take from the game, one player didn’t make the final whistle.

Declan Rice has been suffering with a hamstring injury

Having just won the Premier League, Declan Rice has his sights set on adding another incredible achievement to his resume by claiming the FIFA World Cup 2026.

However, while he started England’s game against Croatia, he didn’t make it to the end, with Thomas Tuchel taking him off the field in the 72nd minute.

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During an interview with ITV, Rice was asked whether the boss saved him from himself.

In response, the player opened up about the issues he’s been dealing with.

The Englishman explained: “I think it was the smart decision, I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time, not a lot of people would’ve known that, it was behind the scenes stuff. It was a smart decision, and in that last 20 minutes that’s where you pick up the most injuries. That’s when you really feel your body going through it. It was the right decision because over the last few days, I’ve felt really good.”

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