West Ham manager David Moyes has referred to Declan Rice as “the best English midfielder around” after his man-of-the-match performance against Manchester United on Sunday.
The Hammers put Erik ten Hag’s men to the sword in a convincing 1-0 triumph thanks to Said Benrahma’s first-half strike which fumbled over David de Gea. The result has lifted the club to 37 points and takes a huge pressure off their relegation fears.
During the match, Rice dominated the midfield battle against Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, imposing his authority in the middle of the pitch with his supreme reading of the game, energy and drive. His influence was palpable as West Ham put in one of their best performances of the campaign.
Such has been Rice’s form this term that, despite West Ham’s struggles near the bottom three, he has been a beacon of consistency and class. He is the first player to reach 60+ interceptions in the Premier League this season, a statistic reflected in his none-shall-pass exploits against Man Utd.
“Again, he was outstanding tonight — but I thought we had some really big performers. He has got a great talent of regaining the ball,” Moyes said in his post-match press conference.
Declan Rice's game by numbers vs. Man Utd:
100% tackles made
100% take-on success
61 touches
13 x possession won (most)
7/9 duels won
7 final third entries
4 interceptions (most)
4 take-ons completed (most)
2 tackles made
0 x dribbled past
0 foulsThe complete CM. ?#WHUMUN pic.twitter.com/7TQQzLVHal
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“You have seen him play for England and you’ve seen the ability he has when recovering the ball and getting around people.
“He’s great across the ground, very quick. I’m pleased, but not surprised.
“That’s why he is probably the best English midfielder around and that is why he is going to be extremely expensive if anybody comes calling.”
But, it’s not just Rice’s ability to break up play and read the game with such intelligence that defines his game. Regular viewers will know that Rice has a tendency to break forward and instigate attacking transitions, a side of his game that is so often overlooked by casual observers.
In fact, Rice is the only player in Europe’s top five leagues this season with 30+ in interceptions (62), clearances (51), take-ons completed (38), aerial duels won (36), chances created (33) and shots (33).
He is West Ham’s midfield bulwark, box-to-box engine and maestro all wrapped into one. Another world-class showing from the 24-year-old skipper.
— Squawka (@Squawka) May 7, 2023