Roy Keane has hailed the ‘maturity’ of reported Liverpool target Declan Rice, as he told ITV Sport.
The former Premier League winner thinks West Ham’s flying number six can ‘handle’ the pressure of being England’s main man in the middle of the park.
Rice is a certain starter for England at the Euros, but with Jordan Henderson facing a race against time to be fit, more responsibility will be put on the 22-year-old’s shoulders if the senior Liverpool man isn’t beside him this summer.
Not many players mastered the midfield role better than Keane and he has backed Rice to step up and continue to showcase his worth.
“There has been pressure on him, certainly at West Ham,” said Keane. “He’s a young player and the captain of West Ham after Noble was left out.
“So, he has shown that he can deal with that. I think it’s not a problem for him. You think if Jordan’s (Henderson) fit for the summer then he will be involved.
“But I think Rice has shown a maturity over the last 12-18 months that he can deal with that responsibility. Plus, it’s such an important position on the pitch. Obviously, a part of the spine of your team.
“I think they will have no problem putting that extra responsibility on Rice, he has shown that he can handle it.”
Rice is no doubt rising as a footballer and he is seemingly heading towards the top, with West Ham or elsewhere.
90 minutes did previously claim that a number of Premier League clubs are keen on his signature, including his former club Chelsea and the current champions in Liverpool.
But if those in East London have to part ways with him then it seems as though they will demand ‘more than £100 million’ for his services, well that’s according to their manager, David Moyes, anyway.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
