Rice Defends Harry Kane Ahead of Clash With Spain

England midfielder Declan Rice has responded to recent comments made by Spain player Alex Baena regarding the Ballon d’Or.

Baena had previously suggested that Lamine Yamal deserved the prestigious individual award over Three Lions captain Harry Kane.

During a press conference ahead of the upcoming match in Madrid, “Rice hit back at Alex Baena’s suggestion that Lamine Yamal deserved the Ballon d’Or over Harry Kane,” according to Yahoo Sports.

When questioned if the fixture presented a prime opportunity for Kane to prove his worth, Rice expressed strong confidence in his teammate.

“I think in Harry’s case, for me and for everyone in England, Harry deserved the Ballon d’Or,” the English midfielder stated, per Yahoo Sports.

Rice highlighted several factors that he believed made the Bayern Munich star the rightful recipient of the football accolade.

“I think if you look at his season, his numbers, the trophies he won and the way he performed in those games, it wasn’t just about goals,” Rice noted, according to Yahoo Sports.

The English player emphasized that the forward delivered consistently outstanding performances on the pitch.

“He delivered man-of-the-match performances,” Rice added, per Yahoo Sports.

Rice also acknowledged the natural bias of opposing players while praising the young Spanish talent in question.

“So, I can understand why every Spanish player is obviously going to say Lamine,” Rice acknowledged, according to Yahoo Sports.

He further described the Barcelona youngster as a phenomenal athlete with a bright future ahead of him.

“Lamine is an incredible player, one of the best players in the world, and he’s going to win plenty of Ballon d’Or’s in the future,” Rice stated, per Yahoo Sports.

Concluding his remarks, the midfielder reiterated his firm stance on the award’s outcome.

“But I think this time it was right that Harry won, and I think he fully deserved it,” Rice concluded, according to Yahoo Sports.