The midfielder was a vital figure in the Gunners side that narrowly missed out on the title to Manchester City and says that helping Gareth Southgate's team to glory this summer in Germany will go some way to easing the pain.

Rice told reporters: "I said straight after the end of the season to my mum and dad that the only thing that would get me over not winning the Premier League is winning the Euros.

"It was really tough to swallow that we missed out by two points but now there’s this beautiful opportunity in front of us to go and do something special.

"To do that I think would be one of the pinnacles of football, to win something for your country. There’s a long way to go, seven big games in a tournament, but full focus on that."

Rice is the oldest midfielder in Southgate's 26-man squad for the tournament and knows that he will have to guide his younger teammates for what will be an experience like no other in their careers.

He said: "When I saw the squad earlier, I saw that I was the oldest one. I didn’t really know how to take it, to be honest.

"Obviously, it’s a midfield packed with excitement, full of energy and five or six players who are ready to go there and give it everything.

"There’s going to be a lot of question marks over the midfield and whether we have that experience.

"I feel like now I’ve gained so much experience over the last two years that I can kind of guide the younger players in a way."