Declan Rice: The Premier League’s Most Sought-After Player
Declan Rice is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League. The West Ham star has been a phenomenal servant for the Hammers, and he appears to have signed off his career at the London Stadium by helping them to their first trophy in 43 years in the Europa Conference League. However, Rice’s departure will break the hearts of everyone connected with West Ham, but there are no hard feelings with chairman David Sullivan admitting he will fulfil a promise made to the player and allow him to leave this summer.
Rice has made the defensive midfield role his own both for club and country, but a move to a bigger club, with Arsenal the most likely destination, could see him add new layers to his game. Hammers coach Kevin Nolan told talkSPORT that Rice is “the closest thing I’ve seen to Steven Gerrard on a football pitch.” Rice can also do a job in defence, but a move to a big club could see him contribute in an attacking sense.
Rice leaving West Ham will be a huge loss for the club, but it is understandable that he wants to play in the Champions League week in, week out. West Ham are understood to want at least £100million for Rice, which is a testament to his quality. However, there are areas of his game that he could improve on.
Rice Needs to Be More Ruthless
Danny Murphy believes that Rice needs to be more ruthless on the pitch. He said, “He’s brilliant physically. Getting about the pitch he can match anyone. But I watch him sometimes, and he’s a bit nice to everyone. There’s this thing in football where everyone’s nice to each other. People like Stevie, like Lampard, Roy Keane, they were ruthless. Rice needs to be a bit more nasty, a bit more, ‘you’re not my mate. You might be after, but not today. And I’m going to rattle a few people, upset them’. That’s where you go to the next level.”
Nolan agrees with Murphy and believes that Rice has the potential to be an exceptional midfielder. He said, “He knows what he’s got to do, and when you speak to him, you see he’s got a great football mind. He wants to do more, he wants to be on the ball more, and I feel going to a top club, he’s going to be able to have that. That’s when you’ll see all those key attributes come out.”
Rice is a nice lad, and he comes from a lovely family. That’s why Nolan thinks he goes with everybody’s graces. “We want to see this lad just flourish, go again and do it again. He’s given everything to West Ham, and he’s not gone banging on the door saying, ‘I want to get out’, he’s not thrown his toys out of the pram, he’s been 8,9, 10/10 for us since I’ve walked in the door,” Nolan said.
Rice Could Be a Really Good No.8
Murphy believes that Rice could be a really good no.8. He said, “I know Arsenal are in for him, but I’m amazed Manchester City aren’t in for him. If they lose Ilkay Gundogan and Bernardo Silva, they are different players, but if you’re playing Rodri and adding Declan Rice and De Bruyne, Declan will get you double figures for goals. He can score, but he’s in a West Ham side where you have to do more defending than attacking.”
Rice has been the best player in the European competitions by a mile, according to Nolan. He said, “Everyone at the club sort of knows it’s coming to an end. Do I want it to end? Not a chance in a million years. Knowing the kid, knowing his family and everybody around him, but I know he’s sitting there thinking he loves West Ham and what he’s given and what they’ve given him, but hand on heart he’s got to go and play in the Champions League week in, week out.”
Conclusion
Declan Rice is one of the most sought-after players in the Premier League, and for good reason. He has been a phenomenal servant for West Ham and has helped them win their first trophy in 43 years. However, Rice’s departure will break the hearts of everyone connected with West Ham. He has made the defensive midfield role his own both for club and country, but a move to a bigger club could see him add new layers to his game. Murphy believes that Rice needs to be more ruthless on the pitch, while Nolan thinks he has the potential to be an exceptional midfielder. Rice could be a really good no.8, and it looks like Arsenal will win the race for his signature.