Not only does Declan Rice match up to a young Roy Keane, but the West Ham ace is even better than the Republic of Ireland legend at the same age.
That's the view of Stuart Pearce, who works with the England international as a coach at the Hammers, and also played alongside a young Keane at Nottingham Forest in the early 1990's before his 1993 move to Manchester United.
Rice has been a key man for the London club as they enjoy an encouraging start to the Premier League season, and also starred for England at the heart of midfield at Euro 2020.
And when asked to compare a young Keane and Rice, Pearce dared to say that Rice was a step ahead of the Man Utd legend at the same age.
“Every game he takes the field in, the expectation is he should be the best player," Pearce told TalkSPORT.
“He’s got the tools to do that, he’s got the stature to do it, he’s got everything. He’s an absolute pleasure to work with, he drives the midfield.
“I was sat next to Billy McKinlay (West Ham coach) at the weekend and he asked if he was as good as Roy Keane at the same age. I said ‘do you know what? I think he might be slightly better.’
“We had Roy with us at Forest before he moved onto Manchester United and I’d have to say he’s slightly better than Roy.
“Whether he’ll have the career that Roy had… it’s all there for him though. He’s got to stay fit, keep learning, keep progressing.”
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