West Ham United fans know they have something special in Declan Rice who has earned glowing comparisons to Roy Keane.
West Ham and now England possess a midfield talent rarely seen in the Premier League era.
The Keane comparisons were inevitable, particularly when Rice was turning out for the Republic of Ireland.
It is some reputation to live up to.
But forget Keane, West Ham – and now England – have the new Sergio Busquets in the shape of their very own Rolls Royce Rice.
Forget Keane comparisons, Rolls Royce Rice is new Busquets
The 20-year-old is already indispensable in the Hammers team and integral to the way Manuel Pelllegrini sets up his side.
But there’s no snarling, vicious blood and thunder to Rice’s play as there was Keane’s.
If anything the versatile star looks like an elegant blend of Keane and Hammers great Bobby Moore.
Pellegrini deployed Rice as the anchor in a midfield three this season and it instantly saw West Ham turn their season around.
The similarities to the way Busquets anchors the Barcelona and Spain midfields are striking.
Rice is more powerful and possesses more goal threat than his Spanish counterpart.
His influence and ability to read the game, break up play and pass through the lines bear all the hallmarks of the Barca and Spain legend.
A blessed ability to make the game look simple
Busquets is famous for making the game look easy. Rice has that same blessed ability.
And like Busquets for Barca, Rice has literally saved his club a small fortune in the transfer market.
West Ham tied him to a new six-year deal on Christmas day. And that may need to be revisited still with talk of interest from the likes of Manchester City (Irish Examiner).
The fact Rice takes the ball so cleanly in the challenge and is rarely caught out on it is a sign of potential greatness for a player in his position.
Master and the apprentice
Busquets is the master of that very art.
Rice is already the best player under 21 in his position in any of Europe’s top five leagues, read full story here.
West Ham have something special on their hands. A prodigious talent that comes along once in a generation.
And he could be the missing ingredient for Gareth Southgate’s emerging England side too after committing to the Three Lions last week.
Receive a digest of our best West Ham content each week direct to your mailbox
