Declan Rice has been speaking to BT Sport following the draw against Manchester City, and he’s reserved special praise for one of his West Ham teammates.
When asked about playing alongside Tomas Soucek, Rice said: ‘He’s brilliant to play with. He’s a player we definitely needed, with legs to make the box and then get back as well.
‘He’s added something to the team which is brilliant. He gives us an outlet all the time when he’s popping up in the box, and we’ve not really had that over the years.’
It’s hard not to say anything complimentary about the Czech Republic international given his impact since signing for the Hammers.
The leggy midfield presence has now amassed 19 Premier League appearances for West Ham since initially signing on loan in January.
In those outings, Soucek has impressed with his box-to-box nature, which saw him net three league goals in 12 starts last term to help the Irons avoid the drop.
After his loan was made permanent for £19.1 million in the summer, the 25-year-old has continued to excel in a midfield two alongside Rice.
Against Pep Guardiola’s men, he won a huge seven aerial duels, while also recording 51 touches of the ball along with one tackle, one block and four clearances according to SofaScore.
He did give the ball away 18 times, but when under the intense pressing of Guardiola’s City side, that can often happen.
All that matters is that his teammates think he’s pulling his weight.
Judging by Rice’s comments, Soucek is doing much more than just that.
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