Chris Sutton has delivered a gushing verdict on West Ham midfielder Declan Rice as he prepares to make his England debut.
Rice, 20, caused controversy this year when he switch international allegiances from the Republic of Ireland to England, and Gareth Southgate has included him in his first Three Lions squad since that decision.
The Hammers star could earn his first cap for England on Friday when they play against Czech Republic, and Sutton believes that he can be a better midfielder for the Three Lions than Tottenham ace Eric Dier.
“By calling up Rice, Southgate believes he is good enough. In terms of his all-round attributes, he has more to offer than Eric Dier or Jordan Henderson,” Sutton said on the Daily Mail website.
“Rice reads the game superbly, snuffing out danger and winning the ball back for his team.
“As our stats show, he outperforms Henderson and Dier this season in terms of making interceptions and winning 50-50 duels. I’ve been impressed by his range of passing, too.
“Going forward, Rice is not afraid to shoot while his aerial ability makes him a threat at set-pieces.
“All he lacks is experience but for Southgate, if you’re good enough then you’re old enough.”
OPINION
Rice has been fantastic for West Ham this season and he is bound to become a mainstay for England over the coming years. Right now, he does lack the experience of Dier, who was England’s World Cup penalty shoot-out hero against Colombia, but that will come naturally over the next couple of years. Once Euro 2020 comes around, Rice could be firmly ahead of the £60,000-a-week [Spotrac] Spurs player in the Three Lions pecking order, and could then hold onto that spot for a long time. Dier has been pretty underwhelming in most of his performances for England, and he has had quite a few injury and fitness issues this term in club football. Rice on the other hand has been West Ham’s stand-out player this season and having him in the side could really beef up what has been a pretty lightweight England midfield at times. He is one special talent and England are so lucky to have him.