Gareth Southgate hints West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could be England’s next captain
Gareth Southgate has dropped a big hint that West Ham midfielder Declan Rice could become the next England captain at some stage.
The 23-year-old has seen an extraordinary rise in the past couple of seasons, and he has been an epitome of consistency for both club and country.
He produced another brilliant performance last week in the 2-1 win against Switzerland where he came off the bench to make a big impact in the game.
“Without a doubt he has all the attributes to be a captain,” Southgate said, as quoted by The Telegraph.
“What I have seen this season is the confidence that he has gained from his experience last summer.
“We are gaining the rewards of the opportunities we had to blood him so young: the initial Nations League campaign [in 2019] and playing against the Dutch in the semi-final of that. They were the biggest games of his life at that time. He is now getting European experience with his club as well and all of those things are starting to come together.”
Leadership
Rice has matured as a player and he is perfect to lead the Three Lions at some point.
He is already a captain for his club, when Mark Noble is not around. He leads by examples, both on and off the pitch.
The England midfielder has been outstanding throughout the campaign and has helped his club reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
There are constant rumours about whether this is going to be his last season at the club, especially with so many heavyweight clubs vying for his signature.
West Ham are pretty relaxed about his situation. While the club will definitely make an attempt to tie him down on a long-term deal, the fact remains that Rice wants to see big ambitions from the club.
Even if he leaves the Hammers, he will certainly command a fee over the £100 million mark that Manchester City paid for Jack Grealish.
In other West Ham news, David Moyes warns the owners ahead of the summer transfer window.
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