Former West Ham United coach Stuart Pearce has suggested that Declan Rice is capable of doing “much more” at club level and for England.
Rice has become a key player for Gareth Southgate as he has started all three of England’s group games at the World Cup in Qatar.
The former Chelsea academy product has been afforded a platform at West Ham to show what he is capable of and he has done just that.
The Englishman is among the best midfielders in the Premier League and it is expected that he will get a big move away from West Ham next summer. Chelsea and Man Utd have both been linked with him over the past few months.
Rice is brilliant as a defensive midfielder but he is also a powerful runner and he can be very dangerous when he attacks defences.
Pearce was Rice’s coach for around two years at West Ham and he recognises that the midfielder has more to offer.
“In all honesty, I’ve half had those frustrations at club level. He’s got so much more in his locker. He’s got a brilliant range of passing,” Pearce told talkSPORT.
“When I talk about getting teams turned, he is in a key position to get us turned and go forward with diagonal passes or forward passes through the lines.
“He’s got a great range of passing. I’ve seen it first hand for two years. I think there’s more in his locker than just breaking things up.”
Pearce added: “I think he should do it a bit more for England. He’s got the tools to do it. The only time I see him turn and go past people is to get out of trouble.
“When he gets pressed, he surges past people. I’ve seen him do it two or three times at West Ham. More of the same please.”
Ex-Wales international Hal Robson-Kanu thinks Rice needs to leave West Ham so he can live up to his potential.
“For Rice to do that, he has to move to a big club for me. That would then be expected of him,” Robson-Kanu added.
“You can see by the way he plays for England he moves the ball. Don’t underestimate the difficulty in always being available and moving the ball, quickly shifting the ball.
“In terms of the opportunity to break the lines and have the confidence, and also expectation, to get the ball and have the first thought of going forwards.
“He is a little bit comfortable in that West Ham team and for him to go to the next level he needs to progress in terms of club level.”
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