Steven Gerrard expressed his admiration for Declan Rice, wishing Liverpool had signed the Arsenal midfielder.
Rice has been a standout player in the Premier League since joining Arsenal in 2023, earning spots in the PFA Team of the Year for two consecutive years.
The 26-year-old is currently part of the Gunners’ squad leading the title race, and Gerrard has shared his thoughts on the England midfielder.
During an appearance on The Smith Brothers podcast, Gerrard referred to Rice as a midfielder profile to aspire to, expressing his regret that Liverpool did not acquire him from West Ham before Arsenal did.
“I admire Declan Rice; I’ve been praising him for a long time,” Gerrard stated.
“When I coached Villa against West Ham before he moved to Arsenal, I was surprised by his size since I hadn’t met him in person before.”
“You step into the tunnel and think, ‘Wow, that’s quite a presence for a midfielder’.”
“When building a midfielder, Rice has the ideal physique. At about 6ft1in or 6ft2in, with strong legs and power, he’s the model midfielder.”
“He is composed in possession and aggressive when out of it, and I like him as a person too. His performance level is elevating, putting him on track to become a world-class midfielder.”
“He’s someone we (Liverpool) should have looked to sign from West Ham. I’m not sure if we made a move, but I believe he would have been exceptional for us. Just imagine him in our midfield right now.”
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