Declan Rice feels England have put too much pressure on themselves at Euro 2024

Declan Rice believes England are so desperate to end a 58-year wait for a major men's trophy that they are putting too much pressure on themselves to deliver at Euro 2024.

England are in a good position to advance to the last 16 from Group C after drawing 1-1 with Denmark in Frankfurt on Thursday evening.

But the manner of the performance from the side picked by Gareth Southgate has led to criticism of both the players and the manager – including loud jeering greeting the final whistle at the Deutsche Bank Arena.

Offering an honest assessment of his own performance, Arsenal midfielder Rice conceded he "wasn’t the best" he could have been on the night, while Southgate and captain Harry Kane also called for improvement against Slovenia next week.

Southgate said he thinks his squad may "care too much" about achieving something no senior men’s England side has managed since lifting the World Cup in 1966.

Rice agreed with his manager when asked if it is hard to keep emotions in check at a major tournament: "Yes, I think we are all so desperate to do the country proud," he said.

"We are all so desperate to win, to be leaders, to go out there and give people memories for lifetimes and sometimes I maybe feel like we put too much pressure on ourselves where we could just go out there and let it just take care of ourselves.

"But look – two games, one win, one draw. And now we go into that last game. Our objective is always to qualify and I’m sure we can still do that.

"Look, we know we can be better, for sure, in and out of possession and there is lots to improve on which is a positive in a way.

"We’ll be fine, we’ll recover well, and we’ve got one more to go."

Southgate had led England to a World Cup semi-final and the final of Euro 2020,