Stuart Pearce believes West Ham United captain Declan Rice would make a great centre-back
Stuart Pearce believes West Ham United star Declan Rice would make a terrific centre-back and could make a move into the position in a couple of years.
Rice has become one of the Premier League’s best defensive midfielders in recent seasons and has gained multiple plaudits for his performances.
Pearce admitted that David Moyes said he was “fantastic” in the central defensive role when he deployed him there this season in Europe.
“Dave’s put him there in Europe this year, I’ve spoken to Dave about it and Dave said he was fantastic,” said Pearce talking to TalkSPORT.
“Took the ball from the back, built up play from the back, he’s quick, he’s got everything.
“But listen, Dec wants to play in midfield at the moment, when he gets a little bit tired and his legs go in a couple of years time maybe.
“You know there’s not so much work to be done, ‘maybe I’ll drop back a bit’. It’s like us left-backs who want to drop in and be a centre-half as one of a three in later years.”
Potential.
There is definitely some potential to what Pearce is claiming, you could see Rice slotting in pretty well in the centre-back role.
It’s a position that favours his strengths and would complement the leadership skills he’s developed in recent seasons as captain of West Ham United.
Now, whether it’s a move Rice would be making any time soon is up for debate, he’s far too effective in his defensive midfield role at the moment.
Nevertheless, as the legs start to tire and Rice enters the later stages of his career, a move to centre-back may not be the worst idea.
If Rice continues on his current trajectory there are no limits to what he can achieve in the modern game and a central defensive role may be on the horizon for the Hammers skipper.
For now, the Irons need to focus on keeping Rice at the club and tying down the midfielder to a long-term contract, as rumours of a move to Chelsea continue to loom large.