West Ham United edged closer to retaining their Premier League status thanks to their 3-1 victory over relegation-threatened Watford at the London Stadium on Friday night.
A brace from Michail Antonio and a goal from Declan Rice ensured that the points were safe in the first half, despite the No. 41 admitting that his side were not good enough in the second half.
This illustrates the attitude of the 21-year-old. A player that is always striving to be the best and with a mature head on young shoulders.
His side’s victory lifted them six points clear of the relegation zone, with Bournemouth and Aston Villa three points behind Watford in 17th. West Ham are not mathematically safe but they have given themselves some breathing space for now.
Rice’s performance against the Hornets illustrated this mentality as his commitment of defending shone through on the night.
Should Declan Rice be crowned Hammer of the Year?
Yes
No
Per Sofascore, Rice managed to make four interceptions, won seven duels of the 13 that he attempted and won two tackles. Along with this, he managed to complete four long balls, two key passes and accumulated a pass success rate of 74%.
Manager David Moyes is a huge fan of the young Englishman, having deputised earlier in the season at the back due to defensive injuries and applauded the improvement that he has made at the London Stadium, describing him as “defensively sound”, cited by Barking and Dagenham Post.
Rice has a long career ahead of him. Having appeared as an England international and with a market value of £44.55m (per TransferMarkt), clubs will be turning their heads on the sight of his consistency and his fabulous work rate.
