Sam Allardyce Urges England to Snap Up Declan Rice Following Stunning Recent Displays for West Ham
Former West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has urged England to snap up Declan Rice as soon as possible following a recent string of excellent performance in the heart of the Hammers' midfield.
Despite his tender years, Rice has been a mainstay for West Ham so far this season, making 26 appearances in all competitions. He has put in some memorable performances along the way, with his most recent coming as the Hammers held league leaders Liverpool to a 1-1 draw on Monday evening.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, Allardyce was full of praise for the 20-year-old and claimed that his performance against Liverpool should encourage England to call him up in order prevent him from representing Ireland.
“He was outstanding against Liverpool." he stated.
“If he hasn’t committed to Republic of Ireland yet, [England should] play him quickly. Very, very quickly. With the way he’s playing at the moment, he’s got to be considered, surely. He’s playing every game in the Premier League and you’re talking two positions now.
“His performances in midfield are getting better, for me, and that’s a great sign for West Ham.”
Allardyce also found time to praise Manuel Pellegrini for the brave decision to move Rice further up the park after he initially began his career as a centre back.
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“There was a bit of magic involved moving him into midfield. Pellegrini got some stick at first – people saying, ‘what are you doing playing a centre-half in midfield?’ – but I don’t think anyone is moaning about that now with the performances he’s putting in. He is brilliant."
