Ex-West Ham defender Stuart Pearce has told talkSPORT that he believes Declan Rice has the credentials to captain England one day.
Rice has been selected in the England squad to take on Czech Republic and Montenegro in late March in the Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Gareth Southgate called the Hammers youngster up just days after his international switch from the Republic of Ireland was ratified by FIFA.
And Pearce says he sees no reason why Rice cannot go on to become the captain of the Three Lions one day.
Stuart Pearce on Declan Rice
Pearce spent two years with West Ham as a player and also acted as a coach for the club last season under David Moyes so he knows Rice and his temperament very well.
In an interview with talkSPORT, Pearce was asked whether Rice could become England skipper in the future and he said: “I don’t see any reason why not, it just depends on how he develops as a man but on working with him I think from footballing terms he’s above his years.
“He’s gaining great experience at West Ham and this will only be good for him to work with Steve Holland, work with Gareth Southgate and rub shoulders with some of the top players in the Premier League.”
Declan Rice: future captain?
Many West Ham fans have already tipped Rice to become the future Irons captain when Mark Noble steps down.
The 20-year-old plays with maturity beyond his years, seems level-headed and wears the claret and blue shirt with so much passion.
Rice is a likeable character in the dressing room and he definitely has captain credentials. Whether or not he can skipper England depends on how well he performs on the international stage and whether he reaches his true potential.
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