Chris Sutton was left stunned after a fan called into his BBC show to boldly claimed that Declan Rice will be playing in the Championship for Barnsley in one years’ time.
Sutton said that he would have the Irons midfielder in the England starting XI over the likes of Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson purely based on form this season, although he did say that if Gareth Southgate had two spots, he would play them together.
However, one football fan on the ‘BBC 606’ show on BBC 5 Live Sport claimed that 20-year-old star does not have a future in the West Ham midfield and says that he will be playing for a club like Barnsley in the second-tier soon enough.
“I think that Rice has had a better season than Henderson. While I like Henderson, and if Gareth wants to play in a two, he can play him alongside Rice. But if it came down to one spot, and one spot alone, based on this season, and the way Rice has played and the way Henderson has played, I’d have Rice,” he said.
“Potentially in a years’ time I can see him playing for a side like Barnsley in the in the Championship. He’s got no future in our midfield,” the fan responded.
“What? You can see him playing for Barnsley in the Championship did you just say?” Sutton replied.
"In a year's time I could see him playing at a Barnsley in the Championship…he's got no future in our midfield" 😬
That's what this caller had to say about Declan Rice. @chris_sutton73 left almost speechless…#BBC606 pic.twitter.com/NdqhKZ5Lyx
— BBC 5 Live Sport (@5liveSport) March 24, 2019
OPINION
It is baffling to see why this caller has made such a claim about Rice. Where they got their opinion from remains to be seen, but it seems like they are seeing a completely different Rice to what everyone else is seeing. Rice has got into the England team on merit this season and he rightly deserves to be amongst it all after the form he has been in this season. It is hard not to agree on Sutton on this one – if there was just one spot, it would be easy to pick Rice. Experience does not come into it if you are not consistent, and that is probably Henderson’s problem at the moment. There is no denying his talent, it is just Rice has hardly put a foot wrong all season and has virtually starred in all of West Ham’s matches this term as well. Many West Ham fans will be fuming with this caller’s claim, and deservedly so.
