Declan Rice is increasing his value with every performance at this World Cup.
Rice was outstanding against the United States as he read the game, shielded the defence and his passing was inch perfect. But the best compliment you can pay him is that it almost went unnoticed because he is so consistent that you come to expect that from him.
West Ham midfielder Rice is still only 23, it feels like he has been around a lot longer and yet now he has become a player in demand. Irons fans are almost resigned to him leaving next summer but his price is going up - and it could increase sharply after this tournament.
Hammers boss David Moyes has valued him publicly at £150million but the reality is that, with Rice having turned down a new deal and his contract running down, their resolve might be tested at the £80m mark. All of the big clubs are watching developments with Chelsea perhaps the biggest long-term admirers while Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City have all looked in the past.
Chelsea’s efforts to get him may depend on getting into the Champions League because that is where Rice belongs and, indeed, whether they can afford and attract him if they are not in Europe’s top competition. City boss Pep Guardiola even described him in the past as an “exceptional player” and added: “He will be a top English player for many years to come.”
And that is rich praise coming from the best manager in the world and also knowing that Guardiola coached Sergio Busquets, who remains the identikit holding midfielder from the all-conquering Spain and Barcelona sides.
How much do you think Declan Rice is worth? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Sits, shields, passes. That is what Rice does for England in a quiet, unassuming way that almost makes people forget that the anchorman role was such a problem in the past.
For a long time there was no one. Then there was no back-up for Jordan Henderson. It is easy to forget that Rice only made his England debut in March 2019, has won 36 caps since and does not turn 24 until January 14. But it feels like he has been around so much longer.
This is a player with the world at his feet and is adaptable to dovetail brilliantly with Jude Bellingham or Henderson as he knows when to stick or twist. His partnership with Kalvin Phillips at last year’s Euros was the heartbeat of England’s midfield and the driving force of their engine room.
It was also Rice - in the balmy heat and humidity at pitch level in the Al Bayt Stadium in the middle of the desert - who worked tirelessly to shield the defence in the United States game.
The praise which was richly deserved for the centre-half pairing of Harry Maguire and John Stones should also be shared by Rice because he sat, controlled and, even when England were being overrun and outnumbered in midfield, he kept his discipline and did his job.
Rice is almost the unsung hero of this England team because he is so consistent, so reliable and, as Gareth Southgate thinks about changes through this tournament, the West Ham midfielder is one that he can hardly afford to leave out. Whoever gets Rice next summer will be signing a player who has proved himself at two major tournaments on the international stage.
Rice has yet to play in the Champions League but has played for England at the World Cup and that will be enough to prove his quality and worth to potential buyers. While his performances have not been so good for West Ham as last season, that is the case for a few of Moyes' men.
But as soon as he pulls on his England shirt, then you know he will raise his game to look very much at home on the world stage.
