Declan Rice is iconic. Facts
In a game that was predictably spoiled by racist chanting and all-around appalling behaviour from Hungary fans, Declan Rice‘s perfect reaction following the teammate Raheem Sterling‘s goal will go down in the history books and is yet another reminder of how special this England squad is.
Hungary fans were at it from minute one, as they booed the taking of the knee and went on to boo both Sterling and Jude Bellingham, as well as launching cups onto the pitch following the no.10’s opening goal. Regardless, their ignorance and vitriol were eclipsed by Rice’s perfectly nonchalant response. Drink it in – literally.
Long live @_DeclanRice forever and always ❤️ pic.twitter.com/t2gEZx5YMT
— FootballJOE (@FootballJOE) September 2, 2021
The newly appointed West Ham captain has had plenty of great moments – his running bromance with Mason Mount, that video of him singing Sweet Caroline like there’s no one else in the room – but this surely tops them all.
Rice, who was a scorer on the night with a delightful ranged finish, took to Instagram after the game and posted this simple but emphatic picture with the caption: “silence the haters”.
And that’s exactly what they did; Gareth Southgate‘s men did their talking on the pitch in what ended up a 4-0 thrashing and while the game might have finished on a positive result, more importantly, it showed how much more work is still to be done off the pitch. Euro 2020 was plighted by racism from start to finish and we cannot allow it to continue.
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