Declan Rice will emerge as England’s star man at the Euros, according to former Three Lions boss Glenn Hoddle.
The ex-England manager has identified West Ham ’s midfield enforcer as being the key to the country’s success this month.
Hoddle, who was in charge of England’s World Cup campaign in ’98, says that the 22-year-old is starting to remind him of Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira.
And he says that if Rice has a good tournament, his country will prosper.
Speaking at a Betfair event, he said: “For me, Rice is a real key player. We’re always talking about Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Harry Kane, but if Declan has a really big tournament, England will do well.
“He’s that influential with West Ham and I think he’s becoming so with England, too.
“It’s his stability, allied to his defensive work, but he’s also getting forward now, too.
“He’s choosing his moments and he reminds me – not in style – but he has this little burst now like Patrick Vieira where he can step through the lines. N’Golo Kante does it, too.
“More importantly, mentally, Declan believes he’s a good player now.
“As a youngster, you hope you are. You are learning from good professionals like Mark Noble with West Ham and Jordan Henderson with England, but now he’s going to that tournament thinking, ‘I can live with these people’.
“He’s better on the ball than people give him credit for. He’s seeing space and bursting into it. And he’s got that attribute where he can slip into the back four. He can intercept, he can read the game.
“He can’t win you the game, he’s not a match-winner, but he could be a match-saver at the other end.
“In three or four years’ time, he’s going to be a helluva player.”
Hoddle also provided a solution to the pressing question that continues to bug current boss Gareth Southgate. How does he combine the talents of Foden, Mason Mount and Grealish into one?
Hoddle said: “I don’t think the three of them should start. Grealish has a fitness problem. We saw that as he had that ice-pack on his shin after the Austria game.
“He is going to be an impact player. He’s going to come on from the bench if you need a goal – or even if you are one-up because he carries the ball and draws fouls. I wouldn’t worry about him going on at 1-0 up, thinking, ‘We need a defender here’.
“No, he’s a release player. He gets you up the pitch and slows it down if you are winning it. He’s perfect. He’s different from Foden and Mount.
“I’d play them either side of Harry Kane in pockets and ask the full-backs to provide the width.
“I’d play Kalvin Phillips and Declan Rice – don’t pigeon-hole Phillips as a holder, he’s better than that. He can pass the ball, he can release people. He’s shown that with Leeds.
“These lovely little No.10s we’ve got, it’s all very well highlighting them, but they need the ball. People say, ‘Oh, so-and-so wasn’t in the game’, but they need the ball.
“Phillips is not always looking square, nor is Rice. They do more than just pass the ball square.
“It’s a blow, Trent Alexander-Arnold not being fit. If Gareth does decide to play a three, he would have been perfect.
“Sometimes, though, you can play a winger in there. I did it with Darren Anderton and David Beckham. He could ask Raheem Sterling to perform that role.
“Let’s face it, where do modern wingers end up?
“Thirty yards from their own goal. What’s the difference between that in a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3? If they are defending, none.
“Raheem could do it, he’s disciplined enough.”
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