BT Sport man cannot believe eyes at Declan Rice class for West Ham United v Gent live on air
In what will be remembered as a historic night for West Ham, captain Declan Rice received high praise as they cruised to a 4-1 win over Gent.
Captaining the Hammers, Rice led his side into what could have been a potential banana skin of a game, hosting Gent in the Europa Conference League quarter-final after a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the first leg.
Despite conceding the opening goal, West Ham responded quickly, with Michael Antonio sending the hosts into the break level to ease in what was a tense London Stadium.
The Hammers then quickly took the lead in the second half, with Lucas Paqueta converting from the spot before Rice scored a stunning solo goal, as the hosts then cruised to a routine victory.
The Englishman produced a cool finish following a mazy run into the box, with BT Sport commentator Adam Summerton dubbing the midfielder “Top class” (BT Sport 2 21:21).
Summerton is on the money
Fans of West Ham have been long aware of Rice’s quality, with the midfielder being a mainstay in the side since breaking into the first team back in 2017/18, and also staring in England’s Euro 2020 run alongside fellow midfielder Kalvin Phillips (Transfermarkt).
Whilst those at the London Stadium will be pleased to see Rice performing so astutely, his performance against Gent will only further draw attention from rival clubs in the summer, as Rice has previously been the target of both Manchester United and Chelsea.
However, with a place in the Europa Conference League semi-final against AZ Alkmaar now secured and a Premier League relegation scrap on their hands, West Ham must ensure Rice remains focused on the tasks at hand, with there still being a lot to play for this season.
As for Summerton’s comments, if nothing else, Hammers fans will certainly acknowledge Rice as a ‘world class’ midfielder, with the Englishman and West Ham captain arguably being one the Premier League’s most complete players despite still being just 24.