Former Premier League midfielder and BBC pundit Jonathan Greening has said he would hate to be West Ham United in the summer where midfielder Declan Rice is concerned.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a phenomenal campaign for the Hammers and netted the team’s winning goal against Arsenal on Saturday. Greening feels that the club will have a hard time keeping hold of him come the summer.
“He’s so mature for his age,” he said on the BBC’s Football Daily podcast [13/12; 31:00]. “I thought he was terrific yesterday [against Arsenal], breaking up play, slowing things down, speeding things up, and obviously he got the goal to win the game. He just looks like he’s been there 10-15 years.
“For a central midfielder he is so composed on the ball. He can pass it with his left foot, right foot, he can keep the ball, he can make penetrating passes, he can break up play, he’s strong, he can tackle. He’s got, really, everything.
“I’d hate to be West Ham in the summer because I’m sure there will be a few big clubs coming for him.”
OPINION
It’s hard to disagree with anything Greening says, here. Rice is, without doubt, West Ham’s most prized asset at this moment in time and they would obviously be loath to lose him. He did sign a new long term contract recently but that, as we know, is no guarantee in football. Ultimately he will leave the Hammers at some point and so it’s now about the club keeping him around for as long as they possibly can – and getting as much as possible for him when he does leave. Greening’s assessment of Rice’s talent is spot on. He really can do it all. We haven’t seen the offensive side of his game as much as the defensive side this season, but he put it on full display against Arsenal. His finish for the game’s only goal was absolutely superb and showed that he can contribute in an attacking sense as well. He is a wonderful talent and the West Ham fans should cherish him while they can because he won’t be at the London Stadium forever.
