England will face the Democratic Republic of Congo. Before the match, Rice gave an exclusive interview with The Daily Telegraph. The original content was quite lengthy, and this article is the second part.

Group stage performance heavily criticized, understanding the difficulty of breaking down tight defenses

Rice acknowledged public dissatisfaction with England's group stage performance. Aside from a brilliant second half against Croatia, overall performances in other matches fell short of expectations.

"It's difficult to explain. Media colleagues can understand, but neutral fans find it hard to sympathize: when opponents defend with ten men and sit very deep, and given England's overall squad strength, everyone wonders 'why can't we score four or five goals?'"

"But there are many variables in football. Ghana's defensive system is very well organized, and the same applies to our recent match against Panama. The manager said Panama's world ranking is similar to Wales and Serbia, so they're far from a weak team. They have good individual quality, can play smooth passing football, and are very threatening on the counterattack."

"Breaking down tight defenses and maintaining patience are crucial for us. The most critical point in breaking down a compact defense is scoring early—once we go ahead, the opponent must push forward, and defensive gaps will naturally open up."

Rice missed the group stage match against Panama, partly due to a yellow card suspension risk and partly because he was playing with injury. He revealed that he has been troubled by a hamstring nerve issue since Christmas, and also suffered a hard blow to his calf against Ghana. His fitness directly affects England's chances of winning the tournament.

Rice dismissed public concerns and explained his injury situation:

"I'm really fine. Everyone knows I've had some minor hamstring discomfort, but it hasn't affected training or playing. I can perform normally."

"Late in the Ghana match, my calf was kicked hard by an opponent. There was immediate bruising, swelling, and pain for three days. It's purely an accidental injury; my calf itself has no underlying injury."

"Of course, I want to play in every match, but the team comes first. Given the calf injury and the yellow card suspension risk, missing one match to give other teammates a chance was the right decision for me."

Regarding the hamstring nerve pain

"This pain is very specific; it can flare up even when I'm sitting still. It's not just pain during football; I also feel sharp pain in my leg suddenly when resting at home. I've never experienced an injury like this before, and this discomfort is entirely new to me."

"I've managed it properly and gotten adequate rest during my free time. Last season, I prioritized playing in matches, and the pain actually eased toward the end of the season. After the Champions League final, I rested for a full week without training. When I returned to training, my body didn't immediately adapt, and the pain increased again, causing stress. After this tournament, I will rest completely, and my physical condition will definitely return to normal at the start of next season."

Relaxed daily life in Kansas City, peaceful atmosphere isolated from the world

Like most England players, Rice has enjoyed the team's training camp in Kansas City in the American Midwest. He even bought a Kansas City Royals baseball cap. "The team gave me a cap, and I love collecting hats!" he said when talking about life in Kansas. "I went shopping a few days ago, and it felt very comfortable to walk around peacefully."

Only one person driving by recognized him. "There's no way to find such peace and quiet on the streets of London. The tranquility here in Kansas is rare and precious. I can shop freely and enjoy my downtime."

Regarding penalty shootouts

If England ultimately wins the FIFA World Cup, this peaceful, undisturbed life will come to an end. To reach the final, the team will likely have to go through at least one penalty shootout, and Rice said the entire team is ready.

"I was never a great penalty taker, but the penalty in the Champions League final was the calmest I've ever felt taking one in my career." Although Arsenal ultimately lost the penalty shootout to Paris Saint-Germain, Rice calmly converted his penalty.

"I can't explain why. I have a fixed routine for penalties, and I decide where to shoot before the match. I've studied the goalkeeper's saving habits and know he anticipates I'll shoot to one side, so I deliberately adjusted my shot placement. It's a mental battle throughout, but I felt very calm inside. In the past, I was always nervous when taking penalties. This season, against Crystal Palace, my heart was pounding before the penalty, and although I scored, the mentality was completely different from the Champions League final."

"Honestly, looking at the current squad, this group of penalty takers is clearly the strongest in England's history. Kane, Toney, Rashford, Gordon, Saka, myself, Bellingham... everyone has very strong mental resilience. There's no need for much instruction; they're very decisive when stepping up to the penalty spot."

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