‘Terrific player’: Glenn Hoddle says every team in the world needs someone like 25-year-old Arsenal man

Add as preferred source on Google

Glenn Hoddle knows a good midfield player when he sees one.

Not only was Hoddle one of the best of his generation, he also managed some of the best around during his coaching career as well.

The Tottenham legend knows a thing or two about what it takes to dominate a midfield, and speaking on the Football’s Greatest Podcast, he’s reserved some very special praise for an Arsenal player.

Indeed, the pundit spoke highly of Declan Rice, claiming that every team in the world could do with a player like the 25-year-old right now.

Every team needs a Declan Rice

Hoddle spoke about the Arsenal star.

“Terrific player, every team needs a Declan Rice. Every team may not need a certain other player, but every team needs a Declan Rice. He has that ability to receive the ball, make the team tick, a bit like Rodri does for City. Declan is showing that he has that ability, he’s going to get better and better,” Hoddle said.

The best teams have someone like Declan Rice

Hoddle is spot on, every team in the world needs someone like Declan Rice, and all of the best teams usually do.

Take a look at the Champions League winners over the past 10 years, they all have that dominant midfield player at the base of their spine – Rodri at Man City, Casemiro at Real Madrid, Sergio Busquets at Barcelona, Fabinho at Liverpool and so on and so forth.

These midfield players can make a good team into a great team. They make everything tick and add an extra layer of control to every game they play.

There’s a reason Arsenal were happy to pay £105m to sign Rice this summer, and it’s fair to say that the decision to sign the former West Ham man is now paying off.

Rice has been pivotal to Arsenal’s success so far this season.