Former West Ham United midfielder Don Hutchinson has heaped praise on Hammer starlet Declan Rice, saying that his future could lie at centre back.
The 20-year-old has been employed in a defensive midfield position by manager Manuel Pellegrini this season, helping earn him an England call-up recently, but Hutchinson feels his future may lie further back.
“He’s not a safe passer, is he?,” he told the Football Daily podcast [09:57]. “Of course he’s had to learn that, he’s had to develop that through confidence. Nigel’s [Reo-Coker] right, he could be a centre half and he could be an outstanding centre half.
“He’s got a lot of tools to be very comfortable playing in that position. He’s a good athlete as you’d expect for a youngster, he keeps hold of the ball really well. He’s not just a defensive midfield player. He’s only going to get better, every single season he’s going to improve and England have got a real star as have West Ham.”
OPINION
For a long time the feeling was that when Rice fully matures he will be utilised as a full-time centre half. However, his phenomenal progress in a central midfield position this season has changed that sentiment somewhat. Perhaps he might be better off in the middle of the park after all? It’s difficult to say, but West Ham are in a win-win position either way. He’s shown himself to be an excellent midfield player, while he has all the qualities to be successful deeper on the pitch as well. Perhaps as he gets older he will naturally transition to a more defensive role, but you almost don’t want to curb the attacking sensibilities that have developed in his game as the campaign has worn on. He is starting to become much more influential in the final third for the Hammers and it would be a shame to take that away. Having said that, his versatility will only be an asset for him moving forward and should see him enjoy a long England career.