Michail Antonio has revealed he and his teammates expected more from Declan Rice when it comes to the amount of goals scored but raved over his performances both in game on on the training ground.
The 19-year-old scored his first senior goal of his career after 55 appearances on Saturday, netting the winner in a 1-0 victory over London rivals Arsenal.
Speaking of his teammate, Antonio was full of praise for how he has come on this season but insisted he is surprised to have seen him take so long to net, heralding his technical and defensive abilities.
He told Sky Sports’ Goals on Sunday (13/01, 12:06): “To be honest we batter him all the time because he’s so technically good, we expected more goals from him.
This guy is quality, he’s so quality. People don’t notice how much he breaks up the game. No one goes past him in training, no one goes past him. Very frustrating.
“His build, he’s strong, long legs, just gets in there.”
Opinion
It is no surprise to hear that Rice is left taking no prisoners on the training ground for that is exactly how he plays on match day. He is a brilliant talent in the middle of the park with an exceptional energy levels and an ability to read the game which far outweighs his mere 19 years of age. He has such a bright future ahead of him and he will be feeling relieved more than anything to get his first goal for the club, with the rest of the Hammers players likely to leave him alone a little bit after his first 54 games without a strike. Still, more goals would be appreciated by his team mates and the Irons faithful and if he can add that to his game then he will be one of the most all round midfield performers in the division. Long may his rise continue, for he is such an exciting talent and he promises to grow into a world class performer.