Stan Collymore raves about ‘9/10’ Declan Rice as West Ham United ace shines in England loss v France
Stan Collymore was full of praise for Declan Rice after the West Ham United captain excelled for England in their 2-1 World Cup quarter-final defeat to France.
Rice played the full 90 minutes as Harry Kane missed a late penalty which means the Three Lions’ wait to end their World Cup hurt goes on.
Collymore was impressed with the 23-year-old and rated his display an “8/10 or 9/10” after Rice yet again showed his ability to go up against the best players in the World.
“Declan Rice was excellent, 8/10 or 9/10 and so, too was Harry Maguire. And in terms of his creativity and influence going forward, the same must be said about Bukayo Saka,” said the former Liverpool striker (Sunday People, 11 December, page 51).
Gutting
That was gut-wrenching for the majority of the country and it must have been even more so for Rice, who was flawless on the biggest stage. He dominated the midfield battle after France’s early period of pressure, and England will feel they were the better side on the night, with eight shots on target (BBC Sport). Sadly, the biggest games are decided by the finest of margins.
From Rice’s perspective, his performance last night will further enhance his desire to play Champions League football in the future. He went up against Real Madrid superstar Aurélien Tchouaméni and easily outshone the 22-year-old.
As Rice returns from Qatar questions surrounding his future will begin to emerge, with the next two transfer windows likely to see his West Ham exit grow ever closer. Six Foot Two [3 December] suggest the Hammers are ready to break the bank in order to keep Rice at the London Stadium.