Darren Bent reveals that West Ham star Declan Rice has ‘surprised’ him
Darren Bent has revealed that West Ham star Declan Rice has surprised him with his performances for England.
Speaking on Sky Sports on Saturday, the former Premier League striker discussed the 22-year-old in great detail, and he revealed that Rice’s partnership with Kalvin Phillips for England surprised him.
Rice and Phillips were key parts of England’s Euro 2020 team that reached the final, and it seems as if Bent wasn’t expecting Rice or Phillips to form such a good partnership.
He said: “To be fair to Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips, I think they have surprised a lot of people, with Kalvin Phillips getting the nod. He was superb in that tournament.
“[He] and Declan Rice have this telepathic understanding where they kind of protect the back four.”
Rice key player for England now.
There is no doubt that Rice is now arguably one of the first names on the team sheet for the Three Lions.
He is one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, and at just 22, he has already racked up 24 caps for England.
So, it appears as if Rice is going to be a mainstay of that England midfield for at least another ten years, and we would be very surprised if he didn’t end up with over 100 caps for his country.
His partnership with Phillips was perhaps unexpected, but at the moment, they both look undroppable in that Three Lions midfield.
In other West Ham news, the club will not bow down to Declan Rice’s contract demands.
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