West Ham’s Declan Rice has delivered a big blow to Chelsea mate Mason Mount in the BFF stakes as pal Ryan Fredericks makes ‘world’s best’ claim.
When West Ham welcome Bournemouth to the London Stadium on Monday night they will also be welcoming back former defender Ryan Fredericks.
And it will be a case of friends reunited for Hammers skipper Rice as he welcomes Fredericks back to the London Stadium.
Rice forged a great friendship with the Cherries right-back since emerging in the West Ham first team.
The bromance the pair enjoyed at West Ham often saw light-hearted questions raised about Rice’s big mate Mason Mount at Chelsea.
Rice and Mount have been friends since the age of eight, playing alongside one another throughout their time in the Chelsea academy until the West Ham captain was released aged 14.
While Mount has flourished with Chelsea – who continue to be incessantly linked with a move to try and bring Rice back to Stamford Bridge – Rice has become one of the best midfielders in the world with West Ham and England.
Rice and Mount have been reunited in midfield with the Three Lions on a number of occasions.
There is often plenty of banter flying around about who is Rice’s true best friend when it comes to Fredericks and Chelsea man Mount.
Now West Ham’s Rice has delivered a big blow to Chelsea mate Mount in the BFF stakes as pal Fredericks makes ‘world’s best’ claim.
Rice has always waxed lyrical about Mount and how close he is to the Chelsea star (The Telegraph).
And that was a sore subject with Fredericks during their time at West Ham.
Fredericks once told West Ham’s website: “I’ve seen all the interviews Dec has been giving about being best friends with Mason Mount and I’ll be pulling him up on that when he comes running back to me! I’ll be giving him the cold shoulder! I’ll be having strong words!”
The Premier League got Rice and Fredericks back together for a joint interview ahead of West Ham’s clash with Bournemouth.
And Rice stated Fredericks is his best friend while the ex Hammer claimed that his pal will be the world’s best midfielder.
“I think you were the one I grew closest to out of anyone and I think we just got on instantly,” Rice told Fredericks before the game (whufc.com).
“All of his friendship group, I got on with them… Probably my closest mate, personality, banter, it’s a really good friendship.”
A penny for the thoughts of Mount over at Chelsea!?
Fredericks was equally effusive in his praise of Rice and their friendship. And the defender said Rice will prove himself as the world’s best in his position.
“In my eyes, I think the way I’ve seen him in games and training, I think he’s already world-class,” Fredericks said (talkSPORT).
“From what I’ve seen I think he can go to another level. I don’t think he is far off it now, but I think he will be the best midfielder in the world in the next couple of years.
“I am not saying that because he is a good mate of mine but from what I’ve seen he has got everything. He can literally do anything on a football pitch, anything with the ball. Hopefully he has a nightmare on Monday night.”
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