Chris Sutton has backed West Ham midfielder Declan Rice for a starting role with the England national team, despite his lack of experience.
The 20-year-old is currently on duty with the Three Lions after switching international allegiances from the Republic of Ireland earlier this year, and could make his bow in Friday’s meeting with the Czech Republic.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Sutton said: “Declan Rice may have only turned 20 in January and does not have an England cap to his name, but he has to start in midfield against the Czech Republic on Friday.
“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.
“Rice reads the game superbly, snuffing out danger and winning the ball back for his team.
“All he lacks is experience but for Southgate, if you’re good enough then you’re old enough.”
OPINION
Sutton is absolutely right. Gareth Southgate runs a meritocracy and based on merit alone, Rice more than deserves a starting place for the national team. You can talk about experience, or a lack thereof, but the only that is ever going to be rectified is by giving him game time. You would be surprised if he didn’t feature at some point, but whether the manager thinks that giving Rice the nod from the outset might be a bit much remains to be seen. It’s natural to think that, but every challenge that has been put in front of Rice so far has been overcome with minimum fuss, and you would assume that his international debut will just be another step on a career path that promises to go a long, long way. Rice is the real deal, and he couldn’t ask for a better national team manager to nurture his precocious talent.
