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Declan Rice has explained that he’s never seen leadership like he’s seen in the past from Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson.

Rice, 22, is the stand-in captain at the London Stadium for West Ham and he’s currently away on international duty with England.

Meanwhile, Liverpool skipper Henderson is missing from the Three Lions camp during the international break due to an injury problem.

The £140,000-a-week (Spotrac) Reds star is usually a key figure though within Gareth Southgate’s group, and it’s an important summer coming for England with the European Championships.

England international and West Ham midfielder Rice raved yesterday about the Liverpool central midfielder.

“I think every time I’ve played with Jordan, or trained with him, just the intensity that he trains at, but while talking to the team and helping the team out, is just something that I’ve never really seen before,” Rice told talkSPORT.

“He’s a player that puts the squad puts the team before himself. He’s always wanting to help out.

“I’m praying that he’s fit for the Euros and comes through this groin injury because if he wasn’t there, we’d miss him massively.

“He’s a top player, world class player. He’s won the top trophies. He’s been at the big tournaments. He knows what to do. On the pitch you feel his experience, his leadership.”

TBR’s View:

Aged 30, Henderson is likely to be one of the oldest members of the England squad this summer, if he’s fit enough to be involved.

The 30-year-old is sidelined right now after groin surgery, and is a big miss for both club and country.

It’s no fluke that he’s captained a Liverpool team to both the Champions League and Premier League crown in the past few years, so it’s vital that the England national side has experienced individuals in it.

Rice looks like he’s someone cut from the same cloth, as already at such a young age he’s a real driving force at West Ham, where he’s the natural successor to club cult hero Mark Noble.