Roy Keane criticises West Ham’s Declan Rice having worked with him with Ireland

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Roy Keane turned his typically forthright punditry on West Ham and England midfielder Declan Rice yesterday, ahead of England’s game against Kosovo.

Rice started the final match of the Three Lions’ Euro 2020 qualification campaign, a 4-0 away win, but Keane worked with him during their time with the Republic of Ireland and offered a detailed critique.

On ITV’s coverage of the game at 4:20pm 17/11, Keane said: “Where he needs to improve, there’s plenty of aspects. Over the last few months he’s had a lot of praise. I’ve looked at him pretty closely, I’ve worked with him when he was with the Irish squad. Where he needs to improve, where do you want me to start?

“His positional play, I don’t think he’s been consistent enough, he doesn’t stay with runners, he’s sloppy in possession, I can go on. A couple of months ago people loved him but he’s one of these players that has almost played his way out of the team because he’s not been consistent at West Ham.”

TBR’s View – Rice beginning to look like a converted centre half at international level

Rice is now finding the tougher side of elite football after a campaign last season where it seemed almost everything was going right and West Ham were on an upward trajectory.

That put him front and centre in England’s plans but now he faces serious competition for his place and increased scrutiny over his quality against better quality players.

Rice hasn’t been as poor for England as the overblown criticism online has suggested, but his passing has been limited in its ambition, perhaps belying the fact he’s a converted central defender.

That needs to improve between now and the summer, or Rice could find himself the subject of more scathing criticism like Keane’s.