Rice feels like he will get an assist at every corner

Declan Rice feels like he will get an assist "every time" he takes a corner - and says England supporters should be "excited" for what is to come at the World Cup. England looked threatening from set-pieces during their 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening match of the tournament. Harry Kane's opening goal from the penalty spot came after Noni Madueke was fouled following a Rice cross - and the England captain headed home his second from a Rice corner. The 27-year-old was part of an Arsenal side that scored from a record 19 corners last season as they won their first Premier League title in 22 years. However, the Gunners faced criticism for a pragmatic style of play and reliance on set-pieces (scoring 25 goals from set-plays overall). "Everyone's enjoying [set-pieces] now, aren't they?" Rice said, speaking to BBC Sport at England's base in Kansas City. "Everyone's enjoying them now." Rice became Arsenal's designated set-piece taker in January 2024 after a mid-season training camp in Dubai - and the Gunners are now renowned for their prowess from such situations. "I wouldn't ever take corners or set-pieces, but [set-piece coach] Nico [Jover] and the manager at Arsenal saw something in me that others didn't," Rice said. "They said that I can put balls in areas from a dead ball that no-one else can in the team at Arsenal other than Bukayo [Saka]. From that moment, I really just bought into that, believed in that. …