Rice played in three friendlies for Republic of Ireland - against Turkey, France and the United States last yearWest Ham's Declan Rice is outperforming England's other holding midfielders, says Hammers manager Manuel Pellegrini. The 20-year-old has played 59 times for the Hammers, and Pellegrini believes he is ready for an England call-up. "As a young player he will always be learning, but at this moment I think he is a complete player," he said. The Chilean claims Rice reminds him of former Hammers, Barcelona and Liverpool midfielder Javier Mascherano, who made his debut at River Plate under Pellegrini. "I started with Mascherano when he was 17 and he was similar to Declan in his mentality," said Pellegrini.

Source: BBC February 21, 2019 22:41 UTC