Thomas Tuchel ya tabbatar da cewa ɗan wasan tsakiya na Arsenal Declan Rice zai zama mataimakin kyaftin na England a Gasar Cin Kofin Duniya 2026, wanda hakan ya ƙarfafa matsayin ɗan wasan mai shekaru 27 a matsayin ɗaya daga cikin manyan shugabanni a cikin tawagar.

Tuchel ya sanar da wannan bayan nasarar wasan sada zumunci ranar Asabar a kan New Zealand, yana gaya wa 'yan jarida: "Ina tsammanin zan ce Declan shine mataimakina na kyaftin." Da aka tambaye shi ko an sanar da Rice a hukumance game da wannan rawar, daraktan England ya yarda cewa an tattauna al'amarin a lokacin wani sansanin da ya gabata. "Wannan tambaya ce mai kyau. Na kasance ina tunani akai. Ko dai abu ne na hukuma ko a'a. Amma ina tsammanin mun yi wannan tattaunawar lokacin da Harry ba ya nan tare da mu. Mun fara da Ollie kuma ina tsammanin Declan ya kasance kyaftin. A can ne na gaya masa."

Kakar wasa da ba za a manta ba

Rice ya zo gasar a cikin mafi kyawun yanayin rayuwarsa. Ya taimaka wa Arsenal lashe taken Premier League — na farko na kulob ɗin tun lokacin 2003-04 — da kuma kai wasan karshe na UEFA Champions League, wanda suka yi rashin nasara a ciki ta hanyar bugun fenareti a hannun Paris Saint-Germain karshen mako da ya wuce. Da kofuna 72 na ƙasa da ƙasa tare da Three Lions, zai kasance ɗaya daga cikin 'yan wasa mafi gogewa a cikin tawagar farko ta Tuchel.

Rice ya taɓa ɗaukar hannun jari a lokacin da Harry Kane ya yi rashi a wasan sada zumunci na watan Oktoba a kan Wales, inda Ollie Watkins ya ɗauki matsayin Kane a layin gaba — wani yanayi wanda ya bayyana tabbatar da matsayinsa a cikin ɗakin sutura.

Shirye-shiryen England don Gasar Cin Kofin Duniya

Rice da abokan wasansa na Arsenal Bukayo Saka, Noni Madueke, da Eberechi Eze sun shiga sansanin horon England a Amurka ranar Lahadi, suna haɗuwa da ƙungiyar a sansaninsu na Florida. Tawagar za ta yi wasa da Costa Rica a Orlando ranar Laraba kafin wasa a ɓoye da Miami FC, sannan za ta tafi hedikwatansu na Kansas City ranar Asabar kafin gasar.

England za su fara yakin Kofin Duniya a ranar 17 ga Yuni a kan Croatia a Rukuni L. Za su kuma fuskanci Ghana da Panama a matakin rukuni — ma'ana masu sha'awar ƙwallon ƙafa na Afirka za su bi da ƙaimi yadda Rice da tawagarsa za su gudanar da wannan wasan.