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Jamie Redknapp has issued a glowing appraisal of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
The 20-year-old starred against Arsenal at the weekend as the Hammers won 1-0, scoring his first league goal for the club in a tight, nervy affair.
What’s the word?
Rice enjoyed a brilliant performance against the Gunners, defending superbly and taking his first senior goal with aplomb, as he curled an excellent effort from just inside the box into the top corner.
And Redknapp says his performance is a testament to his desire to make it in the professional game, after he was released by Chelsea at the age of 14.
Writing in the Daily Mail, Redknapp said: “Throughout the hundreds of games I have covered, few moments have given me more satisfaction than Declan Rice’s winning goal for West Ham against Arsenal.
“This is a player who has bounced back from rejection at a young age to become one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League.
“I have followed Declan’s career for some time. He first caught my eye as a centre back in Chelsea’s academy. He reminded me of a young John Terry — assured in possession, strong in the air and a good communicator — but at 14 he was released.”
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And he was so impressed with his performance, Redknapp has even compared Rice to Fernandinho, arguably Manchester City’s most important midfielder.
He added: “Clearly seeing that Rice has the attributes to thrive as a midfielder, Manuel Pellegrini has helped him be more disciplined in that position.
“Pellegrini worked with Fernandinho at Manchester City. While Rice still has much to learn, against Arsenal he played like the Brazilian at his best.”
Rice surely a wanted man
Rice is surely a wanted man.
The Sun claim that Manchester City want Rice to replace Fernandinho, and his performance will not have gone unnoticed across the league.
The Hammers, though, are already in danger of losing Marko Arnautovic this month, and the departure of Rice would surely hit a little harder.
The midfielder, who has yet to declare his international allegiance to one of the Republic of Ireland or England, has the added bonus of being a home-grown player, and would surely command a major transfer fee.
However, the entire top six should be bending over backwards to ensure he arrives in the summer.
