Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil believes Declan Rice is the best English midfielder going.
The Hammers star has been returning to form in recent weeks and was sensational against Liverpool in midweek.
Even though the Irons lost 1-0, Rice was perhaps the best player on the pitch at Anfield, having also scored in the 1-1 draw with Southampton.
Rice and his team-mates are now preparing for Monday’s clash with Bournemouth, and O’Neil is in awe of just how good the England international is.
Speaking ahead of the game, as per Yahoo Sports, he lavished praise on Rice, insisting that he may be the best player in his position in the country.
He said: “He’s a fantastic player, has so many strengths for a midfield player, probably the best all-around English midfielder we have. I haven’t put too much thought into that, but I think he’s right up there.
“He has real physical qualities, he can get box-to-box, good legs, good strength, nice on the ball, intelligent.
“He’s a good player and (West Ham) have got a few of them to be honest. They added some in the summer, so it’s obviously a tough test for us and one we’re looking forward to.”
Bournemouth have actually been in decent form since their 9-0 loss to Liverpool and have climbed to 12th in the Premier League table.
However, in midweek, they were beaten by Southampton, thanks to a Che Adams goal, and will be aiming to bounce back on Monday.
