OPINION
No matter what else happens when West Ham face Newcastle United on Saturday, one thing is for certain – there will be no end to the comparisons made between Declan Rice and Sean Longstaff.
The two young midfielders have exploded onto the scene this scene to a cacophonous fanfare, and with good reason.
Both are excellent players with the ability to break up play and build attacks from the heart of midfield, and both play with a maturity far beyond their age.
Drawing parallels between the two is only natural, as Martin Keown did on BT Sport’s coverage of Newcastle United’s win over Burnley on Tuesday night (BT Sport 1, Tuesday February 26th, 7.30pm).
He said: “I think they’re interesting, both players. Southgate must be looking at both players, and I don’t think there’s a great deal between them.
“Longstaff looks to me like a slightly better finisher, a cleaner striker. They’re not brand new and Declan Rice is, again, an outstanding talent, and they’re both going to be nurtured. I enjoy the competition of young players.”
While praising both, Keown’s comments would seem to suggest hat he is of the belief that Longstaff is the superior player on the basis of his finishing ability.
This does Rice a disservice. Neither player is exactly prolific, but nor do they need to be. They are the architects of their respective sides not the hitmen.
Even within the obvious similarities between the two players is a certain amount of difference.
Longstaff may be a better finisher perhaps, but Rice is probably a much more able winner of the ball when out of possession, all things being equal
There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of competition, but ultimately here are two players who could go on to form a formidable partnership at international level, and the last thing they need is to be played off against one another, especially when the argument is narrow-sighted.
