West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has been in wonderful form so far this season.
Rice has firmly established himself as one of West Ham’s key players this season, with his performances in defensive midfield catching the eye.
The 20-year-old has put in displays which have belied his tender years, and he is already one of the first names on Pellegrini’s side’s team-sheet.
And Pellegrini admits that Rice’s development has shocked him so far this term.
“The truth is, I was not 100 per cent sure [he would progress to this level],” Pellegrini said. “I saw him play well last year but I saw him make a lot of mistakes too, but that’s normal in the first season. But he kept proving himself and showing that he could be an important player.
“We had a very bad first game against Liverpool and he started that match but the first thing I made clear to him was that the defeat was not because of his individual performance, but that we were trying to find our feet as a team in that moment and that we soon would.
“And soon he became a big player for us and now he is vitally important and he has a future you wouldn’t have dreamed of.”
West Ham have moved to tie down Rice to a long-term contract worth £30,000-a-week (The Sun), in what looks a brilliant move by the club.
Rice has all the potential to go on and become one of the leading defensive midfielders in the Premier League, if he continues to progress at his current rate.
Rice will surely start for West Ham tonight when they take on Liverpool, as they look to end their poor run of form.
West Ham will move up to ninth place in the Premier League table with victory this evening.
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