Declan Rice: Kevin Nolan Compares West Ham Midfielder to Steven Gerrard
Introduction
West Ham coach Kevin Nolan has compared Declan Rice to Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, as the 24-year-old midfielder is set to complete a move to Arsenal in the coming days. Nolan praised Rice for his “phenomenal” performances over the last three seasons and believes he is the closest thing he’s seen to Gerrard on a football pitch.
Kevin Nolan’s Praise for Declan Rice
Nolan told talkSPORT: “Dec has given everything to the club and he’s been absolutely phenomenal – he’s been our best player for the last three seasons by a country mile. I don’t want to lose him, I would never want to lose him because of the way he drives everything in training everyday – I would never say this lightly, but he is the closest thing I’ve seen to Steven Gerrard on a football pitch. Dec’s attributes, his key attributes and I feel that there’s still loads to unravel. Now I’m not saying he is Gerrard, before the Liverpool fans start having it with me, but I’m just saying with the way he can just glide past players. The way one minute he’s there, the next minute he’s gone, the way he can play a defensive role, the way he can then go and move into an attacking.”
Teddy Sheringham’s Comparison
Former Manchester United, Tottenham and England forward Teddy Sheringham also sees the same skills in Rice. He said: “I have to liken him to Steven Gerrard, not many players can eat up the ground like Declan – Gerrard used to do exactly the same, he used to overpower people in midfield. Add that to his passing ability, his understanding of the game, his knowledge of the game, he’s obviously getting led by Mark Noble. His desire, you can see how he loves the game and wants to get better. For me, he’s up there with the top players in the world in midfield at the moment, there’s no denying that.”
Conclusion
Rice is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world and it is no surprise that two former players have compared him to Steven Gerrard. With Rice set to complete his move to Arsenal in the coming days, it will be interesting to see how he fares in the Premier League and if he can live up to the lofty expectations set for him.