Nolan: Rice is worth more than £100m

Toby Bowles
Rice West Ham

West Ham coach Kevin Nolan says he “wouldn’t sell” Declan Rice for £100m as interest in the England international intensifies.

Rice, 22, is thought to be a target of both Manchester United and Manchester City as both sides look to strengthen their holding midfield department.

West Ham value their prized asset at £100m, with his stock having risen sharply over the past 12 months on account of his impressive displays for club and country.


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However, if it were up to Nolan, even an offer of that amount would not tempt him to sell Rice, who is contracted to the club until 2024. He holds the midfielder in even higher regard.

“When you’re in the room with Declan Rice, you know you’re in the room with Declan Rice, but he doesn’t make you feel uneasy,” Nolan, who made 141 appearances for the Hammers, told BBC Sport.

“He’s one of those kids who wants to learn, wants to get better, always willing to take advice on, always willing to try and get better and want to get better.

“The biggest thing for me as a coach is he listens to me, he respects me for what I’ve done, but I feel that this lad can go on and I feel he’s already done more than I have in terms of England appearances, being in Europe and things like that.

 

 

“He’s going to keep going because [0f] his athleticism. He trains every day, he wants to train every day, he can hit it from one side of the pitch [to the other] with his right foot or his left foot.

“He can run with the ball, he’s got everything that you could possibly wish for as a footballer and plus he’s got a good footballing brain where he’s now learning for West Ham, and he’s done it with England, he’s now learning how to control games.

“When you watch him play, he just seems in control of everything. For me, he’s going to get better. Putting a price tag on him, I wouldn’t sell him for £100m.”

West Ham host Manchester United at 14:00 on Sunday.