Exclusive: Former Hammer Rob Lee waxes lyrical over Soucek-Rice partnership

Rob Lee has exclusively told This is Futbol that Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek are as good as any midfield partnership in the Premier League, following an admission from West Ham manager David Moyes that bids for the duo would be considered.

Prior to Rice’s knee problem he sustained on international duty, which forced him to miss West Ham’s victory at Wolves on Monday night and the thrilling 3-2 win against Leicester, the pair had played every minute in the Premier League this season.

The form of England midfielder Rice, rated at £54m by Transfermarkt, form has seen him take the armband from Mark Noble, whilst Soucek has been an outstanding signing following his initial loan move from Slavia Prague last January, which eventually became permanent last summer.

Soucek is West Ham’s top goalscorer in the Premier League having netted nine times this season, including goals against Everton, Aston Villa and Arsenal and a brace in the victory at Villa back in January, to see the Hammers maintain their surprise push for the top four.

West Ham’s impressive season, which could still end with Champions League football at the London Stadium, has been largely down to the consistency of the midfield duo, and Lee, who played in a Hammers team that included Michael Carrick in the middle, has been singing their praises.

“They’re as good as anybody at the minute,” he told This is Futbol. “Soucek has been an inspiration. It’s another great signing, I’d never heard of him myself.

“He scores goals from midfield. I love all that, I love someone getting forward and scoring goals from midfield, it’s a dying art, and he does that. He’s always getting in there, he got a hat-trick for his country the other week.

“And Dec does everything well. He reads the game well for someone so young. He’s physically strong, he’s quick, you don’t see him trying to play too many Hollywood passes, he knows what he’s good at and he gets it. I think he’s certainly been one of the best players in the Premier League this year.”