da premier bet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da bwin： Jamie Redknapp believes Declan Rice’s long-term future could be as a centre-back, and he therefore provides a solution to England’s problems in defence.
What did he say?
After the Three Lions’ defeat to the Czech Republic there has been a lot of discussion about Gareth Southgate’s defence.
Michael Keane has been the target of criticism whilst the manager has contemplated a return to the 5-3-2 formation which worked so effectively at the 2018 World Cup.
Rice, who has featured solely in defensive midfield for the Three Lions, first came through at West Ham playing in the heart of a back four, and Redknapp believes he would be just as effective if he made a return to that position.
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In his column for The Daily Mail, he wrote: “Is Declan Rice the answer to England’s problems in defence? I suspect he could be.
“I see a centre back in the 20-year-old and that is where his future could lie for club and country, rather than being used solely in midfield. Using him at the back could be the long-term answer.
“He’d be more than happy to get on the ball and has the intelligence needed to form an effective centre back partnership.”
The former England international also points to the fact that Rice has the attributes to perform in that position, with only two midfielders making more tackles in the Premier League, whilst he ranks fourth for midfielder interceptions too.
Waste of potential?
It is understandable that Redknapp views the Hammers man as a potential centre-back, and there is little doubt he could perform that role effectively for Southgate, with his pass accuracy of 90% in the league matching his defensive capabilities.
However, he has made great strides for West Ham since Manuel Pellegrini began utilising him further forward, and he has already shown a great understanding of his position in midfield, leading him to progress and rumours that Man United want to sign him for £70m.
As a result, not only would he be less familiar with the centre-back role if he played there for his country, but his skills would be wasted there, as the energy and passing range he possesses makes him ideal for defensive midfield.
He has also received praise from Gary Neville and comparisons have been made between Rice and the likes of Rodri and Fabinho – with the West Ham player being labelled a “rare talent”, so he is clearly performing well in his current position.
As a result, it would be an unnecessary change for Southgate to make, particularly as he has a plethora of options available, with players such as Tyrone Mings and Fikayo Tomori beginning to emerge on the international stage also.