Jonathan Woodgate drools over West Ham midfielder Declan Rice v Everton
Jonathan Woodgate has showered heaps of praise on West Ham midfielder Declan Rice.
Aaron Cresswell has scored in the 32nd minute with a stunning free-kick to give the Hammers a deserved lead against Everton in the Premier League clash on Sunday (03 April) at the London stadium.
In the first half, Rice made some fantastic blocks, made excellent tackles, and played out some good passes.
Demarai Gray attempted a surging run into the box, but Rice made a strong tackle from behind and won the ball neatly.
Woodgate said on BBC Radio 5 Live as relayed by the BBC Website: “Declan Rice doesn’t panic under pressure. He sticks to his guns, shows strength and resilience.
“He’s a world-class player, he could play for any team in world football.”
Strong start
West Ham have made a good start to the game. There is a nice tempo to their play and Michail Antonio has looked fresh and sharp.
The Hammers are often criticised for making a slow start, but in this case, David Moyes will be happy with his side’s overall performance.
Pablo Fornals and Antonio also came close to scoring but their shots were blocked respectively. Jarrod Bowen had a shot saved by Jordan Pickford from distance.
Rice has been superb in midfield once again. Alongside Tomas Soucek, he is dominating the midfield. However, the fans probably would love to see more from either Rice or Soucek to make surging runs into the box.
Woodgate has merely repeated what everyone is talking about Rice at the moment. The England midfielder is indeed world-class, and he has been an epitome of consistency for both club and country.
In other West Ham news, a pair of first team squad members look set to leave the club.
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