Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp has compared West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice to Manchester City’s Fernandinho.
He says that the 19-year-old star has the same attributes as the City mainstay, even though he is 33 – and even added that he would not be surprised if the talented youngster was already in Pep Guardiola’s sights as a long-term replacement for him.
Redknapp the compared the ace’s attitude to that of John Terry, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, players who put the effort in on the pitch after spending time trying to improve their game.
“Rice has all the hallmarks of Fernandinho, the anchorman of Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City midfield,” he said in his Daily Mail column.
“The Brazilian is still performing at the peak of his powers but given he is 33, City will be on the lookout for a long-term replacement. I would not be surprised if Rice is already on their radar, and plays against them in West Ham’s next home game.
“He has the same attitude as Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and John Terry — players who put in the hard yards in training and worked tirelessly to keep on improving.”
OPINION
There is not a week that goes by without a pundit waxing lyrical over the talent of the young Declan Rice – after all, he is a player who looks far more mature than he actually plays. However, Redknapp is spot on to compare him to the likes of Fernandinho, who have been crucial to the success of Manchester City. Even though Rice did not impress him in the first game against Liverpool, he has since improved his game enough to match the attributes of this Premier League winner. Fernandinho is often a player who slips under the radar at City due to the attacking prowess that they have, which is the exact same with Rice. Yes, he does get praised, but more often than not, his attacking teammates get the plaudits for their game changing exploits. However, Redknapp said that he would not be surprised if Rice was already on the radar of City – a prospect that would leave fans sweating.
