Declan Rice is promoted into Gareth Southgate’s England leadership group joining Harry Kane, Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker after becoming a key part of the Three Lions set up ahead of next summer’s Euros

• Declan Rice has become a key fixture of the England side in the pivot role 
• Mail Sport can reveal Arsenal were listening to offers for Takehiro Tomiyasu 
• It’s All Kicking Off: Jack Grealish has lost his zip… we need him to get it back 

Declan Rice has been elevated into England’s leadership group, a move that underpins his growing seniority under head coach Gareth Southgate.

One of the key aspects of Southgate’s reign has been the formation of leadership committee – a chosen group of players who effectively take on the responsibilities of a captain during international windows.

The group remains an important facet of Southgate’s tenure, although the mixture of players included in the group from camp to camp has been kept informal during recent get togethers.

Eric Dier, Conor Coady and Raheem Sterling – who aren’t part of the current squad – have all been part of the leadership group at some point over the previous seven years.

However, Harry Kane, Kieran Trippier, Harry Maguire, Kyle Walker and Jordan Henderson are viewed as fixtures in the select band of players Southgate has selected to lead the team – and now Rice has been added to the that unofficial team ahead of Euro 2024.

Declan Rice’s improved stature in the England team has seen him promoted into the leadership group

The leadership group – headed by captain Harry Kane – has become a key facet of Southgate’s tenure 

Kyle Walker (left) and Harry Maguire (right) are both prominent figures in the England set up

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The midfielder has become a key player on the pitch under Southgate and is now an automatic choice for England, with his remit off the pitch also expanding.

Jude Bellingham’s presence within the most senior England players is also understood to have increased during the calendar year. The Real Madrid star is just 20, but his status within the squad is growing rapidly.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are preparing to open talks with Takehiro Tomiyasu over a new contract just months after considering selling the Japan international.

Tomiyasu has 18 months left on his contract at the Emirates, though there is an option to extend that by a further 12 months.

However, Gunners chiefs want to prolong his deal after the versatile defender’s excellent start to the the season.

The prospect of Tomiyasu signing a contract extension marks a sharp turnaround in the club’s outlook over the player’s future.

Mail Sport can reveal that Tomiyasu, who is attracting interest from Bayern Munich, was among a list of players that Arsenal were ready to listen to offers for during the closing weeks of the summer window following their near £200million spending spree on Rice, Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber and David Raya.

There was significant interest in Tomiyasu from the Premier League and rival European clubs.

Mail Sport can reveal that Takehiro Tomiyasu was made available for sale at the end of the transfer window – with significant interest from the Premier League and abroad

William Saliba is one of a number of Arsenal players to have penned new deals recently

Jurrien Timber’s ACL injury on the first day of the season meant Tomiyasu was needed at the club

However, the ACL injury suffered by Timber during the opening day victory over Nottingham Forest meant Tomiyasu was immediately removed from the list.

Since then Tomiyau has become a key player under Mikel Arteta and is sharing the responsibility of playing left-back with Oleksandr Zinchenko, whilst also featuring in other roles across the back-four.

The Gunners have embarked on a contract renewal drive with a number of their key players this year; Martin Odegaard, William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli among the players to have signed new deals over the past 12 months.

Ben White is also in advanced talks over an extension with Tomiyasu next in line to open discussions over fresh terms.

IT’S ALL KICKING OFF! 

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