Tony Cascarino has drooled over West Ham rising star Declan Rice ahead of England’s double-header and hailed him as “better than Eric Dier”.
The Hammers midfield anchorman, 20, will compete with his Tottenham counterpart for a place in the national team after controversially switching allegiance from the Republic of Ireland.
Pundit and former Ireland striker Cascarino is in no doubt about the calibre of Rice and what he can bring to England following his development at West Ham this season.
“He looks like a veteran of 300 league appearances,” Cascarino told the Times. “He is so composed, a master of simplicity who sits in front of the back four and refuses to give the ball away. He’s better than Eric Dier, who does a similar job for Tottenham.
“He reminds me of Paul McGrath, my old Ireland team-mate, in that he makes playing in both positions look so easy. Declan never gets flustered, even in the big games. He is a young guy showing incredible maturity, who will be as good as he wants to be, because I don’t see flaws in his character.”
OPINION
The world is at the feet of Rice, whose stunning progress at West Ham this season is even more impressive, given that Manuel Pellegrini dumped him from the squad after the opening-day hammering at Liverpool. Rice licked his wounds, bounced back and has played more outfield minutes than any other player in the Premier League since 14 September. He has thrived in a midfield anchorman role, winning the ball, intercepting, closing down opponents and using the ball with far more imagination that many other players in that position. At West Ham, Rice has emerged as an untouchable who Pellegrini is building the team around. At international level, he will fight with the likes of Dier, Jordan Henderson and Fabian Delph for a starting role. None look insurmountable barriers to the West Ham man taking the next step in what promises to be a golden career. At every level.