Declan Rice is only 24 years old yet seems to have been a mainstay of the England midfield for many years.
In fact, Rice made his debut for England in March 2019 as a substitute against the Czech Republic having pledged his future to England despite previously being called up by the Republic of Ireland.
Having made the decision to represent England, Rice has played 39 times for his country, including a European Championship final and World Cup quarter final. There is no doubt Rice has the potential to win 100 caps for his country but where the big question marks remain are around his club career.
Rice started his career in the Chelsea youth team before switching to the same set-up at West Ham United. Rice made his debut for the West Ham senior team in 2017, playing against Burnley in the final match of the season.
During the 2022/23 season, Rice will reach 200 appearances for West Ham in the Premier League but could this be his last season at the London Stadium? West Ham have been struggling at the wrong end of the table and Rice is unlikely to reach the heights of a Premier League title challenge and Champions League football with The Hammers.
Rice’s contract has another year to run and there is the option to extend it for a further year. However, it is believed Rice has rejected the offer of a new 8 year deal with West Ham and considering the position of the club in the Premier League this season, the summer transfer window is going to be interesting.
A look a Rice’s statistics in the Premier League and nothing stands out in terms of goals and assists. Having played 36 times in the Premier League during the 2021/22 season, Rice scored 1 goal and had 4 assists.
The previous season, Rice scored 2 goals and had 1 assist while this season, having played 22 times, Rice has 1 goal and 2 assists. However, the reason Rice is so highly rated is because his strengths are elsewhere on the pitch.
Rice plays between midfield and defensive lines. Making interceptions and tackles is key to his game and Rice is often the man who steps in to win the ball for West Ham before starting attacks. Scanning is one of Rice’s strengths from the deep central midfield position and he knows exactly what is happening around him, allowing him to read the play.
Rice has made more interceptions per game in the 2022/23 Premier League season than any other player who has played the same number of games. If we look at the pass success percentage in the Premier League this season, no central midfielder with at least the same number of appearances as Rice can match his figure of 89%.
So, if you want a player who can win the ball back and successfully make a pass to begin attacks in the Premier League, Rice is your man. With that mind, the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool will all be circling in the summer, when Rice is most likely to move clubs.
However, there could be interest from abroad, with Real Madrid still searching for a Casemiro replacement. Should Rice move in the summer, we could see a new record transfer fee between Premier League clubs.