Gary Neville has delivered his verdict on West Ham United ace Declan Rice.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been criticised in the past by Gary Neville for not doing enough with the ball in the final third.
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I just find this train of thought absolutely baffling. Why should a defensive midfielder be criticised for failing to rack up many goals or assists?
The question wasn’t asked of Claude Makelele was it? And it isn’t asked of the likes of Rodri, Casemiro or Eduardo Camavinga either.
The West Ham midfielder is one of the very best around at what he does. David Moyes will undoubtedly struggle to keep him at the London Stadium this summer, but which club will take the plunge and sign him?
Gary Neville delivers big Declan Rice verdict
The football pundit was speaking about the 24-year-old Hammers skipper on Sky Sports this afternoon (Sunday April 2nd, 1:43pm):
And Neville explained why he feels Rice’s price-tag has been detrimental to him:
“There’s no doubt that he’s West Ham’s best player. He’s influential and has been brilliant for England. I think the only criticism comes in reflection that the supposed price-tag that’s being asked of him is £100 million. When you get a £100 million you expect that they are going to be a complete player. Is Declan as good as Rodri or Casemiro at receiving the ball from the back four? Is he as good as Bruno Fernandes going forward? No, he fits somewhere in between both of them. The challenge is who’s going to pay £100 million for him. It’s not a criticism it’s more of an observation regarding his ability relating to that price.”
Now, there might not be any club willing to play £100 million for Declan Rice, like Gary Neville has insinuated. However, the 24-year-old is worth what West Ham say he’s worth.
That’s our prerogative, with Dec still having two years remaining on his current deal at the London Stadium (including the one-year extension option that the Hammers have).
If there aren’t any clubs willing to meet the Hammers’ valuation of the England international then, theoretically, he will stay at the London Stadium.
And that’s the point that Gary Neville seems to be missing about Declan Rice.
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