Declan Rice says he wants to emulate two PL legends
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has named Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure as the type of players he wants to emulate as he develops his attacking game.
Rice has become renowned for his defensive qualities as a shield at the base of midfield, but the 21-year-old is keen to improve the attacking side of his game too.
Speaking ahead of the Hammers meeting with Fulham at the London Stadium, Rice highlighted the two Premier League legends as midfielders with attributes he admired.
“I think, if you look at the top players who drove their teams forward, your Patrick Vieiras, your Yaya Toures, I feel powerful and I feel strong enough to make those surging runs forward,” he told West Ham’s official website.
“I have definitely got it in my legs to do it, but it’s just about my timing and moments. It catches people’s eyes because there are not many players who can carry the ball forward, so it’s just recognising when I can and when I can’t, but it’s definitely something I’m trying to improve on.”
Setting his sights high
In Vieira and Toure, Rice has named two of the best central midfield players of the Premier League era. While the Ivory Coast international was perhaps the more decisive player in the final third, Vieira would dominate the centre of the park and could drive through the middle of the pitch to great devastation.
As Rice explains, he has an excellent engine and a great work rate, and with 1.4 completed dribbles per match this season, there has been a clear improvement in terms of his ball carrying in recent seasons (via WhoScored).
However, Rice is yet to add goals, assists and creativity to his game. Both this season and last season, the England man averaged 0.07 expected goals plus assists per 90 (via FBRef). Meanwhile, his average of 0.7 key passes per game in the Premier League so far this season is the best of his career (via WhoScored).
With his dribbling and engine, Rice has already begun to show his wider range of skills and it is good to see him analysing his game and finding areas to build on.
In other West Ham news, WHZ view: 25yo summer signing must come in to unlock attack – Predicted West Ham XI v Fulham