Declan Rice’s rise to prominence has not gone amiss in the footballing world, and the fan favourite earning his England debut so soon after switching allegiances showed that.
His importance in East London has not been missed, either, with some of the Mirror’s editorial team tipping our man to be the Premier League’s Young Player of the Year.
Raheem Sterling, though, is still considered to be the runaway leading contender at the moment, having started the campaign as a 23-year-old and playing a key role in Manchester City’s title aspirations.
Rice was not the only player suggested by the Mirror’s editorial team to be the biggest competition to the winger, either, with Crystal Palace’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold and Bournemouth’s David Brooks also recommended.
If the shortlist for the award came down to these five, those voting would see that Sterling has the sixth-most goals of anyone in the league – three behind teammate Sergio Aguero – while Wan-Bissaka and Alexander-Arnold have cemented the right-back spots at Selhurst Park and Anfield.
Rice, meanwhile, is the midfield anchor at the London Stadium, and only Felipe Anderson, Lukasz Fabianski, and Issa Diop have started more Premier League games than he has this season.
Here are some of the reasons behind their suggestions:
Matt Lawless: “Declan Rice for me. I’ve watched him closely this season and he has been West Ham’s best outfield player by a country mile. He oozes confidence, controls the game, can score goals and has bundles of energy.
“He is the best academy player West Ham have brought through in years. Indeed, his elevation to the England senior squad is no surprise and thoroughly deserved.”
Andy Dunn: “The progress of David Brooks has been particularly eye-catching, Marcus Rashford is an obvious candidate and Declan Rice’s claims are strong.
“But no young player is as important to one of the major clubs as Trent Alexander-Arnold is to Liverpool. For evidence of that, look no further than his hat-trick of assists in the recent 5-0 thrashing of Watford.”
Tom Hopkinson: “It is impossible to look beyond Raheem Sterling for the award – he’s a major contender for the player of the year so it stands to reason that he’s a shoo-in for this one.
“He’s added more goals and more dynamism to his repertoire this year and he deserves his credit for that. He’s some player these days and so obviously the young player of the year.”
Adrian Kajumba: “A toss up between Declan Rice and Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
“Both have established themselves as key players for the clubs already at such a young age. Rice has managed to go a bit higher by breaking into the England squad and West Ham are further up in the table. But Wan-Bissaka is not far off an England call himself and even in a Palace team that has largely struggled he has stood out.”
