Jamie Carragher has told Monday Night Football, which was broadcast on Sky Sports, that he feels that West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has had to take on some unfair criticism.
Rice has always been highly valued by West Ham supporters, but his popularity hasn’t always extended outside of the London Stadium.
Many opposition fan bases have accused Rice of being too negative with his passing, or not mobile enough – with his ability often judged on his performances for England.
But Carragher says that he is a major admirer of the 22-year-old West Ham man.
And he feels that any stick that Rice has taken throughout his career has been unfair.
“I’m a big fan. He got a bit of criticism at times I thought unjustly really,” Carragher said.
“He’s a regular for England at that age. The actual football he’d played, I read something, in the last two seasons it’s only Conor Coady at Wolves who has played more than him.
“He is a fantastic player, he really is, I’m a huge fan. You can see he thinks about his game. He’s talking about Yaya Toure, Patrick Vieira and bursting forward.
“He’s not thinking about himself as just a sitting midfield player.
“I think he almost got pigeonholed with that’s where he plays, and he’s always going to end up at centre-back, but I’m not quite so sure.
“I think he’s a really good midfield player.”
Rice’s form for West Ham this season means that there simply cannot be many doubters of him any more.
The Hammers academy graduate has been absolutely outstanding in the centre of midfield, with David Moyes’s side now pushing for a Champions League qualification spot.
West Ham won 2-0 against Leeds to move up to fifth in the Premier League last night, and they have a game in hand over many of the teams around them.
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