Rice can be one of the greats

ZABA HAILS TOP DEC

PABLO ZABALETA has told West Ham’s owners to get Declan Rice signed up – claiming he could become one their “greatest” players.

Rice, a 19-year-old holding midfielder, was instrumental in the Hammers’ 0-0 draw with Chelsea on Sunday – the club’s first clean sheet of the season – but his contract is due to expire next summer.

And while the club have a one-year option they could exercise, experienced team-mate Zabaleta believes that Rice has earned a new deal.

“He is young but he still has more room for improvement, for sure,” he said.

Mature

“But he has the right ability and attitude to become of one of the greatest players for West Ham.

“West Ham need to think about his situation because even though he is young, he looks so mature and is proving week in, week out he can perform for the team.

“He is one of those young players that you like to look after and help with all the information you can give to him.

“You try to help out as much as you can, but then there are people who make decisions in this club about contracts and all those things and there is nothing I can do about it.” Rice has already been at the centre of controversy regarding the decision by the London-born player to play in three friendlies for Republic of Ireland, the country of his Cork-born grandparents, yet still not fully rule out playing for England.

So Zabaleta is worried that the further complication of a contract dispute will distract him from developing as a Premier League star.

The right-back added: “There was all the stuff about the Ireland and England football teams and you have to know how to manage those situations.

“But it is important for his family and all the players around him to look after him.

“He is young. We don’t need to put any more pressure on him now. We need to help him to keep improving and at the moment he has played only three or four games this season.

“Step by step – let’s not put more pressure on him and see how far he can go as a player.

“At the moment he is playing for West Ham and doing really well for himself.

“He looks mature and has got the right attitude to become one of the greatest players at the club.

“He has a lot more to learn as a player but all the players in the dressing room need to look after him and keep his feet on the ground because even at the age of 19 or 20 and you play two or three good games in this league, you attract attention from everyone.”