Gary Neville ranks Thomas Partey above Declan Rice

This evaluation comes in the wake of England’s lacklustre 1-1 draw against Denmark at the ongoing 2024 Euros, which has drawn widespread criticism of the team’s performance.

During his analysis on ITV, Neville commented that Declan Rice is less effective in the defensive midfield role compared to Arsenal’s Thomas Partey and Chelsea’s Jorginho.

He pointed out England’s struggles in generating offensive opportunities from deeper positions, specifically criticizing Rice’s performance and suggesting that he lacks the proficiency in the defensive midfield role that Partey and Jorginho possess.

“I want to mention a player who we all love 100 percent. Mikel Arteta moved Declan Rice out of that number six position for the last 15 games of the season to bring in Jorginho and Thomas Partey because he’s not that good at playing there,” Neville remarked during his post-match analysis.

Thomas Partey, nearing the end of his five-year stint with Arsenal, has been showcasing his leadership skills on the international stage.

He recently guided Ghana to victories over Mali and the Central African Republic in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, reinforcing his reputation as a top defensive midfielder.

England, with four points in the tournament so far, now focuses on their upcoming final group stage clash against Slovenia. The team secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Serbia and managed a draw with Denmark, leaving fans and critics alike hoping for a stronger performance in their next match.