There are many youngsters today showcasing their talents in the Premier League But out of these, there are very few who portray themselves as brave, strong, and fearless just like Steven Gerrad, Paul Scholes, and Roy Keane.
One of these is West Ham’s 20-year-old Irish powerhouse, Declan Rice. Whenever people watch him play, they feel like a young Roy Keane is playing in front of them.
He does not fear any of the big guns in the Premier League, as he plays his game without caring about the players in the opposition.
He is a hard tackler and always puts his 100 per cent effort in each and every attempted tackle. That’s what the likes of Gerrard and Keane used to do when they were young. Not a lot of young players do that today.
He is very confident on the ball, and he never looks sloppy. Playing alongside West Ham legend Mark Noble has developed his game to the next level. Noble’s always been a preacher for Declan since he joined West Ham back in 2015 after being released from Chelsea at youth level.
A few weeks ago, he scored his first goal for West Ham in a 1-0 win over Arsenal at the London Stadium. He is a superb defensive midfielder averaging 2.6 successful tackles and 1.6 interceptions per game. He has a wonderful passing accuracy of 86.4 per cent.
He is also superb in the air as he manages to win an average of 2.1 aerial duels every game.
He has been one of the main reasons why West Ham is performing well in the Premier League even after a shaky start to the Pellegrini era at the London Stadium. His work rate and his bravery make him a very good team player.
He is a versatile midfielder who can fit into a number of positions. He can play as a central midfielder, a central defender, as well as a right back – depending on the situation.
More importantly, he is a player who enjoys challenging the big guns and the big boys of the Premier League. He has the attributes which even matured players lack today. He can be called a ‘no-nonsense central midfielder’.
He can fit into any of the top 6 teams in the Premier League. He will be perfect for Manchester City or even Tottenham Hotspur. At Manchester City, he can replace Fernandinho in central midfield.