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8 months ago
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Harry Styles and James Corden threw a party to celebrate Declan Rice claiming his 50th cap during England's 2-2 stalemate with Belgium on Tuesday evening.
The Arsenal midfielder was also rewarded with the captain's armband for the friendly tie at Wembley, in a gesture that Rice described as leaving him 'speechless'.
When Gareth Southgate let him know that he would be leading the side out against Domenico Tedesco's side, Rice said that he 'stood up, shook his hand, gave him a hug and said "thank you so much".'
'Since I've come into the side, he's put his trust and belief in me,' Rice added.
And with cause for celebration, Corden - a vocal West Ham fan - and superstar Styles decided to commemorate the night in some style.
Declan Rice won his 50th cap - and captained England - at Wembley and was feted by his team-mates and celebrities after the match against Belgium
Hammers fan James Corden put aside any lingering malice he might have towards Rice leaving the club for Arsenal to throw a party in his honour
Late goalscorer Jude Bellingham was also in attendance but looked unruffled as the gang emerged at 4am after a night at Marylebone hotspot Chiltern Firehouse
Choosing A-list hotspot Chiltern Firehouse as their location, the trio partied until 4am before heading out into the early morning, in a party which included international team-mates James Maddison and Jordan Henderson.
Jude Bellingham, who scored a last-gasp equaliser to save England's blushes - the Three Lions having trailed for much of the match - was also in attendance, covering up the vestiges of a night on the tiles under his eyes with a pair of sunglasses.
Styles, keen not to be caught on camera, escaped into a waiting car, with Bellingham, Maddison and Co taking their time before returning home from the Marylebone boite.
The avowed Manchester United fan likely had words for the midfielder for failing to book a move to Old Trafford last summer, when he instead joined title-chasing Arsenal in a dazzling £105million transfer.
As well as a party hosted in his honour, Rice was also gifted a pair of bespoke adidas boots from fellow ex-Hammer Frank Lampard ahead of the tie.
Former England midfielder Lampard - who scored 29 goals in 106 caps for England between 1999 and 2014 - met up with Rice in collaboration with Adidas ahead of the game to present him with a one-of-a-kind pair of boots.
The design of the adidas Copa boot included the colours of England - red, white and blue - with a special 50 caps message on the side, while the national flag was also emblazoned across the bespoke design.
When presenting Rice with the boots, Lampard shared a few words with the Arsenal man and hailed him for reaching the milestone.
'Declan shouldn’t underestimate this achievement,' he said. 'Every kid playing football growing up dreams of playing for their country, so to hit 50 caps is something very special.
Harry Styles was also in attendance but looked to make a quick getaway after toasting Rice's landmark Three Lions' success
James Maddison had started on the bench for England earlier that evening, before being brought on for Kobbie Mainoo
Jordan Henderson was named to Gareth Southgate's squad but failed to make an appearance in either of this month's friendlies
'I am excited to see what the summer brings for him and this young team going into the Euros.'
Rice echoed these thoughts and added: 'It is a massive achievement for me to reach this milestone.
'Those close to me, know how much playing for my country means, so to hit 50 caps is incredible. I am excited to wear my new boots on the field to celebrate the moment.'
At just 25, Rice is the fifth-youngest national team player to reach the milestone, behind boldfaced names such as Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, and Raheem Sterling.
But the player was unable to see out a win on his half-century, after England fell behind the visitors twice before seeing out a late draw through gritted teeth.
Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans was the first to get the better of England's defence, opening the scoring in the 11th minute, before Ivan Toney on his full debut restored parity from the spot.
But Tielemans' second goal - a brave flying header to bury a nicely struck cross from Chelsea loanee Romelu Lukaku - meant that England fell behind and trailed for much of the game.
Bellingham had to wait until the fifth minute of added time to ensure that the Three Lions didn't record their second Wembley loss of the break, after falling 1-0 to Brazil - and the talents of young Real Madrid prospect Endrick - on Saturday evening.
The former League of Their Own host looked a little sheepish as he headed outside to meet the photographer's flashbulbs
Bellingham and Maddison will likely both be assured of their spot on the plane to this summer's European Championship
The captain on the night was most likely delighted to avoid defeat thanks to the efforts of Real Madrid superstar Bellingham
Rice was handed a custom-made pair of boots by England legend Frank Lampard to commemorate his 50th cap
The Chelsea legend was keen to stress that Rice should not 'underestimate' his reaching the milestone at such a young age
But while England couldn't claim a win from their last round of friendlies before their preparations for this summer's European Championship, there were undoubtedly bright spots, including a strong night for Jarrod Bowen and Harry Kane understudy Toney, and the emergence of Man United youngster Kobbie Mainoo on the international stage.
Speaking after the final whistle, Southgate admitted that it was almost baffling how confident the player looks at just 18 years old.
'Kobbie from a creative aspect gave us something different,' the manager said.
'His attributes are there for everybody to see, to receive under pressure, ride challenges manipulate the ball in tight areas. We are very happy with what he's done - you can't believe how young he is.'
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