Ex-Tottenham Hotspur and Stoke City striker Peter Crouch is a big fan of West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice. Peter Crouch lauded the performance of Rice in West Ham colours this season as he described him as a key player for manager David Moyes. Crouch talked about Rice in his column with the Daily Mail earlier this week. According to him, Rice is the heartbeat of the West Ham team and that the England international deserves the PFA Young Player of the Year award.
Englishman Rice was in the Chelsea Academy before he was released several years ago. He joined the West Ham United Academy almost immediately and has not looked back since then. Rice came through the West Ham ranks before making his first team debut for the East London side. He has grown to become one of the key players for West Ham United. His performances for the Hammers have attracted the interest of the big English teams such as Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea.
Speaking further on Rice, Peter Crouch said that the midfielder plays with a smile on his face and he looks like he’s enjoying his game. Crouch said Rice has moved from a sitting, defensive midfielder to a dynamic midfielder who can go past people and take the game to the opposition. Peter Crouch said West Ham getting to the last four of the Europa League was down to Rice. The Hammers reached the Europa League semifinals before they were knocked out by German team Eintracht Frankfurt who eventually won the competition. Frankfurt won their semifinal tie with the Hammers via a 3-1 aggregate victory.
Rice is also an important player for the Three Lions of England. The midfielder featured for his country in every game as they reached the final at the Euro 2020 tournament before they lost on penalties to Italy.