Declan on Declan

Declan Rice’s growing command of the Hammers defensive midfield position has drawn some extraordinary facts from the ‘databank.’

The 19 year old has been talking about his development into the role and in doing so has given a clue as to why he was ‘hooked’ at Liverpool in the first game of the season.

Since then the stats show how he has settled into the role almost to the manner born.

He told www.whufc.com: “I’d say Everton away was my best performance since I came back in, because we’d lost the first four and we couldn’t lose five in a row

“The manager changed the team up and we went out there, everyone played really well, we won our first game and got the three points and there’s no better feeling than that, to be honest.

“If you compare the first game I played at Liverpool compared to the ones I’m playing now, my positioning at Anfield wasn’t the best for a holding midfielder. Positioning is one of the main things when you play in that position, because you’ve always got to play in the centre of the pitch.

“I always look back at that Liverpool game because it was the first time I’d played CDM (central defensive midfielder) in a while and I was not really in the back four, I was wide, and sometimes it’s not about that. You’ve just got to hold your position and trust that the ball is going to come near you.

“I think, since I’ve started to do that, the amount of interceptions and tackles I have made has gone up.”

Just three other players have made more passes in the Premier League than Rice’s. Of the players who have started more than four league matches this term, only Issa Diop has a better pass-completion rate than Rice’s 86.3%.

Rice explained: “In this position, I also get to play and go forward with the ball. I don’t try to over-complicate anything. I just play what I see, because once I started over-complicating things and giving the ball away, there’s nothing worse than having to chase back for the ball so, when I get the ball, I just look to get my head up and give it.

“I’m just trying to always keep the game ticking, as well as doing the defensive side of the game.

“You have to be fitter as it’s a much more intense position than centre-half, but I’m really, really enjoying it and long may it continue.”

ClaretandHugh says: Declan talks as well as he plays and his admission that he didn’t hold his position properly in the first game at Liverpool shows an honesty of which he can feel very proud. After a run of outstanding games it would have been  all too easy to focus totally on the positives and there are many of those. Moving forward in that Anfield clash and thus finding himself out of position opened the way for Liverpool’s critical first goal but such has been the learning curve there has been nothing remotely like it seen in his game since. Instead we have probably seen the fastest development possible in his game to the point where we are all now very keenly on edge as we wait for him to sign that new deal. He has spoken openly of that to The Times declaring he wants to stay. Come on Dec, let’s get it done.