Former England midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes West Ham’s Declan Rice should be commended for the performance he put in against Chelsea on Saturday.
The 20-year-old played an integral role in the Hammers clinching a shock 1-0 away win, and Redknapp thinks his display showed why people had been wrong to doubt his ability:
“Declan Rice put in an old-school midfield performance for West Ham at Chelsea. The 20-year-old has not been outstanding this season, and he’ll be the first to admit that, but what a job he did at Stamford Bridge.”
“This was the Rice we all love to watch, the player who got himself into the England squad and everyone talking about him. Sometimes when the team is not doing well, heads can drop. But Rice, against the club where he spent time as a kid, led the way.”
Rice has certainly had a tough time from critics this season, especially from Roy Keane, but Irons fans have always been firmly behind the midfielder.
There have been times where he has been overrun in midfield this campaign, but that was not necessarily his fault, with West Ham playing too open against some opponents.
However, manager Manuel Pellegrini set up a more compact side against Chelsea at the weekend, and it certainly got the best out of Rice.
The midfielder will want to build on his performance at Stamford Bridge when the Hammers face Wolves at Molineux on Wednesday night.
