West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has claimed Declan Rice is the best option England can call upon in the holding midfield role, after the 20-year-old confirmed his intention to switch his allegiances from the Republic of Ireland. West Ham manager Manuel Pellegrini has claimed Declan Rice is the best option England can call upon in the holding midfield role, after the 20-year-old confirmed his intention to switch his allegiances from the Republic of Ireland. Rice ended months of speculation over his international future by confirming he has started the process of registering himself as an England player, despite winning three senior international caps with Ireland. "It is difficult to compare different players in 20 years of management but Declan is a very good player," Pellegrini added. "I worked with so many young players.

Source: Irish Independent February 21, 2019 23:37 UTC