West Ham legend Tony Cottee has admitted that he rates Declan Rice over Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.
Rice has become an integral part of a Hammers side currently punching above its weight and pushing for a UEFA Champions League spot.
The 22-year-old has earned an average Sofascore rating 7.09 from his 29 Premier League appearances this term – fuelling his case for being the elite defensive midfielder in the Premier League.
Beyond being a key player in David Moyes’ side, Cottee has told West Ham Fan TV that the 15-cap England ace has surpassed the levels of Henderson already.
The reason he’s playing for England is he’s the best player in that position, and I include Jordan Henderson in that as well. If you’ve got to pick a player [from those two], you’ve got to pick Dec (Rice) in front of Jordan Henderson. That’s how well he’s doing. That’s a great compliment because Jordan has really improved, he’s a top player, captain of Liverpool etc.
Henderson – who is averaging 7.05 with Sofascore – has achieved greatness at Anfield winning both the Champions League and Premier League in quick succession, as well as a plethora of other trophies to decorate the big two.
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There’s no doubt Rice has grown immensely in the last 18 months since becoming an Irons regular.
Having captained the side in the playing absence of Mark Noble, the London-born youngster has certainly gone from strength to strength in claret and blue.
However, given everything the 58-times capped Henderson has achieved, the 30-year-old’s experience is hard to ignore when it comes to comparing the two.
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