The England team's performance in the World Cup has been marred by injuries and illnesses, and former goalkeeper Joe Hart believes that Declan Rice's lack of energy in midfield ultimately cost the team a spot in the final.
Rice came into the tournament with a lingering hamstring injury from a grueling season with Arsenal, and did not hit his usual levels for large parts of England's campaign.
He was also bedbound for three days before England's quarter-final with Norway due to an illness, and despite being passed fit to start against Argentina, he struggled to make an impact in the semi-final.
Hart believes that Rice's lack of energy in midfield was a significant factor in England's defeat, saying that he "struggled in that central midfield" and that the team took him for granted.
"Declan Rice needed to be able to be top of the running stats, creation, taking free-kicks and corners and that long, hard season he had with Arsenal has caught up with him," Hart said.
Hart also questioned Thomas Tuchel's in-game management, saying that the German coach failed to learn from the mistakes of his predecessor and that he panicked too early in the game.
"I think he realised he didn't believe in his team, he didn't believe they could land any more punches on Argentina," Hart said.
England's defeat has left fans and pundits alike to ponder what might have been, but Hart is clear in his assessment of the team's performance and the key factors that contributed to their downfall.
