Jack Collison believes that Declan Rice could go on to become a West Ham legend.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a phenomenal season in claret and blue, and Collison believes he is destined for immortality at the London Stadium if he continues on his current trajectory.
“Declan has been fantastic,” he told the club’s official website. “He really is the flag bearer for the academy at the moment. It’s great for us as a club to have someone like Declan, so fresh out of the under-23s, fresh into the first team who is going from strength to strength.
“He’s a fantastic young player and one thing that is obvious is his leadership qualities. The way he conducts the game and the way he plays it is clear he has an old head on young shoulders.
“Week in, week out he’s been consistent with his performances. It’s great for us as a club to see him rewarded with an England cap. I think he has an opportunity to really knuckle down and he could be a future club captain and club legend.”
OPINION
Collision’s words certainly echo the hopes and dreams of many West Ham supporters. They will be keen for Rice to appreciate what the club has done for him and to stick around for a long time to help the Hammers progress. Whether that is realistic in this day and age remains to be seen, but that’s what everyone connected with the club is hoping for. The problem is that sooner or later one of the Premier League big boys is going to come along waving a wad of cash and it’s going to be difficult for both the club and the player to turn them down. It can be done, we’ve seen Matt Le Tissier at Southampton and Steven Gerrard at Liverpool resist the call of bigger, richer clubs. It’s unlikely that Rice will do that, but you never know, However, if he does remain in East London for a long time then there’s no doubt that he could go on to become a club legend. It’s just a matter of keeping him at the club moving forward.
