Stuart Pearce insists West Ham United star Declan Rice is already better than Roy Keane was at the same age, also comparing him to another Manchester United legend in Bryan Robson.
Rice has continued to play a key role for the Hammers this season with David Moyes’ side fourth in the Premier League and set to secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Manchester United have expressed interest in signing Rice as they look to finally solve their issues in midfield, while Chelsea have also been linked with a player they released when he was a teenager.
Pearce, who has played his part in Rice’s development in his role as a first-team coach at West Ham, believes the 22-year-old can go ‘as far as he wants’ in the game.
Pearce played alongside United legend Keane in his early days at Nottingham Forest and when comparing the Irishman to Rice, believes the West Ham star has shown more promise.
‘Every game he takes the field the expectation from me [is that] he needs to be the best player on the pitch, in every game,’ Pearce told talkSPORT.
‘He’s got the tools to do that, the stature to do it. He’s got everything. He is an absolute pleasure to work with at this place. He drives us in midfield.
‘I was sat next to [West Ham coach] Billy McKinlay at the weekend and he said to me: ‘Is he as good as Roy Keane at the same age?’ I said I think he is probably slightly better.
‘We had Roy at Forest with us before he moved on to Manchester United and I’d have to say he is slightly better than Roy. Whether he’ll have the career that Roy had… it is all there for him though.
‘He’s got to stay fit, keep learning and progressing. This season we’re fortunate that he’s added a couple of goals to his game which I always thought he had the ability to do so. He drives past people with the ball, breaks things up. He’s an all-round midfielder, he’s probably a Bryan Robson.’
MORE : Rio Ferdinand says Juan Sebastian Veron’s ‘biggest problem’ at Manchester United was Roy Keane
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