Declan Rice out to emulate Arsenal and Man City legends at West Ham
Declan Rice has revealed two Premier League legends are his midfield inspirations as he continues to try to improve his game.
The 22-year-old West Ham man is in fine form and was again named in the England squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
And Rice, who has made 27 Premier League appearances this term as the east Londoners push for a shock top-four finish, says he is looking no further than former Arsenal general Patrick Vieira and ex-Man City powerhouse Yaya Toure in order to improve.
“I think fans see me as a 'hold the midfield' player that breaks the play up and keeps it simple," he said.
"I want to show now that it’s not only just that – I’ve upped my game.
"I’m athletic, I’m strong, I can run with the ball forward.
“If you look at people that I model myself on, Yaya Toure and Vieira are two of probably the best players that used to do it.
"You know, they looked like Rolls Royces when they were doing it and so pleasing on the eye.
"It’s something I can keep adding to my game and keep getting better at.”
Meanwhile, Rice has formed a formidable midfield partnership with Thomas Soucek.
The Czech Republic international was signed permanently from Slavia Prague for £19 million in the summer and has been a revelation for David Moyes' side.
Rice insists the 26-year-old is the perfect foil for him in the Hammers engine room.
"We give it everything when we’re out there," he added.
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"He’s fantastic to play with. He gives everything. He’s strong. He’s athletic. He’s great in the air.
"Defensively, he’s solid. He gets in the box and scores goals. So he’s got everything you want from a footballer.
“We’ve got a great understanding. He knows my game and I know his game. When we’re going into matches, we always feel like we’re coming out on top and we need to keep that confidence going.
“He’s non-stop. He’s always the highest runner in the team. On a match day, you know, he’s always got the best stats, running stats.
"We come in after a game and he’s running again on the pitch, doing a cool down. Just the ultimate professional. That’s what we want at this club. We want great people and great players.”
Rice was speaking to beIN SPORTS, the global sports broadcaster.
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