Declan Rice Should Be Next England Captain After Harry Kane — Wayne Rooney Explains Why

Wayne Rooney believes that Declan Rice should be the next England captain once Harry Kane vacates the role.

Kane has been England skipper since succeeding Jordan Henderson shortly before the 2018 World Cup. He went on to win the Golden Boot in Russia as England finished fourth, before later leading the Three Lions to successive European Championship finals.

England’s World Cup campaign in Qatar in 2022 ended at the quarter-final stage, however, with Kane missing a decisive penalty in the defeat to France.

Kane — England’s all-time leading goalscorer after surpassing Wayne Rooney’s record in 2023 — is expected to captain the national side at the 2026 World Cup in North America. But with the Bayern Munich striker set to turn 37 before the 2030 tournament, England chiefs will soon need to plan for life after him.

FootballBlog.co.uk recently ran a full 2026 World Cup simulation, with England finishing third. Such a result in real life would deliver a $29 million pay-day for the Football Association, with 2026 World Cup prize money up 49% on the previous tournament.

England are currently sixth in the all-time FIFA World Cup table, based on results across previous tournaments.

Wayne Rooney backs Declan Rice to be the next England captain

Rooney sees Rice as the obvious successor to Kane if and when England require a new captain.

The former Manchester United and England skipper, who wore the armband from 2014 to 2017, was speaking after watching Arsenal secure a hard-fought 1-0 Premier League win away at Everton on Saturday night.

That result lifted Mikel Arteta’s side back to the top of the table, ahead of Manchester City, who had beaten West Ham 3-0 earlier in the day. The victory also guaranteed Arsenal would sit top of the Premier League on Christmas Day.

Rice played a central role in that win at Hill Dickinson Stadium and has been a near-ever-present for the Gunners this season. The 26-year-old has featured in all 17 of Arsenal’s Premier League matches, contributing two goals and three assists, while his 1,429 minutes on the pitch are more than any other Arsenal outfield player.

“For me, he’s the one who’s probably waiting for Harry to hang up his boots at some point,” Rooney said of Rice on his BBC podcast.

“He was all over the pitch. His decision-making — when to pass it, where to pass it, what foot to pass it to, the detail on his pass — it was a pleasure to watch. He was absolutely incredible.

“He was splitting centre-backs, taking the ball off Arsenal’s centre-backs, acting as a third centre-back, then next minute he’s in the box trying to score a goal. Sometimes, some of the stuff he does is a bit underrated.”

Rooney believes Rice’s personality and leadership qualities make him the natural choice to inherit the armband.

“He’s the right one to take over for me, because of his drive and his personality,” he explained. “Everyone seems to love him — who knows him, who’s close to him. He’s irreplaceable for England.”

Declan Rice’s history as a captain

Rice’s leadership credentials were established early in his career. He first captained former club West Ham United at the age of 19, before taking on the role full-time in the summer of 2022 following the retirement of Mark Noble.

He skippered the Hammers in 50 matches during the 2022/23 season, including the UEFA Europa Conference League final, where West Ham defeated Fiorentina in Prague.

That match proved to be Rice’s final appearance for the club, but the midfielder has since become a key figure within Arsenal’s leadership group. He first wore the Gunners’ armband during a 3-1 win over Bayern Munich in November and is currently third in the pecking order behind Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.

At international level, Rice has already captained England on two occasions in Kane’s absence — a 2-2 draw with Belgium in March 2024 and a 3-0 victory over Wales in October.