David Moyes claims Declan Rice is West Ham’s best centre-back AND midfielder
David Moyes claimed that Declan Rice is West Ham’s best midfield player and his best centre-back.
Rice was used at the back in the Hammers’ 2-0 defeat to Wolves at the weekend in their first match back following the resumption of the Premier League.
The 21-year-old has not played in the role two years but slotted in seamlessly in that loss at the London Stadium.
Moyes told talkSPORT: “I think Declan could arguably be my best centre-half and my best midfield player so we have to try and see what we’ve got and who is fit for tomorrow night (against Tottenham) and use him the best we can.
“We know he will give us something else as a midfield player but he showed he was defensively sound when he goes into the back line as well.
“It’s really good for Declan that he’s improved so much and can play both positions. Going forward for himself and for us it’s a great thing to have, the ability to use him at the back and as a midfield player.”
Rice continues to be linked with a move away from West Ham but Moyes hoped his future would be at the London club.
He added: “I think he will be wanted anyway (if West Ham avoid relegation). I keep reading it and keep getting told it.
“He’s a West Ham player and I want him to be a West Ham player for a long time and our intention is to stay in the Premier League.
“Nothing is crossing my mind about being in another league except the Premier League. We have to win our games and perform better than we have done.”
The Hammers’ schedule does not get any easier as they face Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Moyes’ side are fourth from bottom and only out of the relegation places by virtue of a better goal difference than Bournemouth.
Moyes added: “From our point of view, I don’t know about Tottenham, but I’m not really even looking to see what Tottenham’s situations are. I’m just looking at our situation and why we need to win.
“That’s always been football. We knew this period, when we broke up before lockdown, we still had the same fixture list. We had Wolves, Tottenham, Chelsea, which was a difficult period for us.
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“Maybe we were in a little bit of a run where we were beginning to find a bit of form so we are back at it.
“We have lost one or two players but we have to get everybody ready, firing and pick up points. We’ve done it before, won here last year, so we have to try and do that again."