Speaking on Kammy and Ben’s Proper Football Podcast, Mark Noble has been discussing Declan Rice after he replaced him as West Ham captain.
Rice has, undoubtedly, been one of the most talked-about players in the Premier League over the past two years after his marked improvement under David Moyes, and Noble believes that the England international could get even better.
Indeed, Noble says that Rice reminds him a lot of himself in how he handles pressure, stating that he’s not surprised at how good he’s been and that he can go on to get even better.
Noble says Rice can kick on
The West Ham legend discussed the midfielder.
‘Declan coped with all of that pressure. I saw that early doors. There are bits of me when I was young that I see in him. I didn’t care, if I made a mistake I wouldn’t care and ask for the ball in the same position the next game. For me there’s no surprise, I think he’s going to get better if anything,” Noble said.
Would be a world-beater
If Rice improves any more he will genuinely be spoken about as one of the best players in the world.
The midfielder is already being spoken about as a potential £100m player, and if he is to kick on even further, he could be absolutely unplayable.
Of course, improving beyond his current level is very difficult, but perhaps he will be able to kick on when he eventually gets his move away from the London Stadium and is surrounded by top-end players as clubs such as Liverpool and Chelsea continue to circle.
If Noble’s prediction rings true, Rice could truly be an elite talent one day.
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