Rice says Southgate deserves the recognition now coming his way.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Gareth, he deserves it more than anyone,” the Arsenal midfielder said. “After the group stage it was tough. The boos, people chucking stuff on the pitch. The way he reacted with us after that, how calm he was even if he was feeling a different way, he made us feel calm.
“It felt like some people were saying negative stuff for the sake of it. Now it’s changed in a way, which is really good. We respect everyone, all the ex-players who’ve put on an England shirt because they’re part of that history as well.
“Now we’re feeling the love, feeling that confidence. Just keep with us, one more game and hopefully we can do something special and make memories for you all forever.”