BT Sport pundit blown away by West Ham midfielder Declan Rice v Arsenal
Efan Ekoku was blown away by what West Ham midfielder Declan Rice did in the first half against Arsenal on Boxing Day.
The 23-year-old had been tremendous off the ball throughout the half, but one moment early on where he stole the ball off Bukayo Saka’s leg, was particularly noteworthy.
He stopped the Arsenal attacker from having a clear strike at goal and won the ball cleanly without it being in question for a potential penalty.
Speaking on the Premier League world feed, Ekoko, a BT Sport pundit, said [26/12, 20:19], “For a guy who’s relatively young in defensive midfield terms, he has been exceptional there winning the ball off Saka.”
Phenomenal maturity
If someone was watching Rice play for the first time, they would not say that he’s a 23-year-old.
The Englishman plays with the maturity of a player close to his prime, perhaps even nearing 30.
However, at 23, Rice is showing just how amazing he is and we cannot begin to imagine what his peak will look like.
He’s only getting better with each passing season and this may very well be his final campaign at the London Stadium.
If he does end up going, at least the club will be heavily rewarded and could even drive the price close to £100million, given interest from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United.
While the West Ham fans would want him to stay, they know that he has the desire to compete at the top of the game and challenge for trophies every season and that’s clearly not happening at West Ham in the coming years.