Gerrard names ‘animal’ Premier League midfielder he ‘loves’ | OneFootball

Steven Gerrard has called Declan Rice an ‘animal’ and said he wishes former club Liverpool had signed the Arsenal midfielder.

Rice has been one of the standout players in the Premier League since joining Arsenal in 2023, earning back-to-back inclusions in the PFA Team of the Year.

The 26-year-old is currently part of the Gunners team that leads the title race and Gerrard has opened up on his admiration for the England midfielder.

Speaking on The Smith Brothers podcast, Gerrard said Rice is a midfield profile ‘to die for’ and outlined his regret that former club Liverpool did not sign the player from West Ham, ahead of Arsenal.

“I love Declan Rice, I’ve been singing his praises for a long time,” Gerrard said.

“I coached Villa against West Ham before he went to Arsenal, I didn’t realise how big he was because hadn’t met him in person.

“You get in the tunnel and think, ‘oh my god, that’s some profile for a midfielder’.

“If you’re building a midfielder, he’s got a body to die for, if you’re 6ft1in, 6ft2in, and have the legs, the power, that’s the midfielder you want to be.

“He was calm in possession, an animal out of it, up and down, I really like him as a person as well. I’ve been signing his praises for a while and I think he’s really getting into that class now, where he’s becoming a world-class midfielder.

“He’s one we (Liverpool) should have tried to grab from West Ham. I don’t know if we did or not but I think he’d have been brilliant for us. Imagine him in our midfield now.”

Read – Premier League Team of the Week – Heaven, Cherki, Schade

See more – Premier League Awards: Wonderful Watkins, Delightful Dorgu

Follow The Football Faithful on Social Media:

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | TikTok