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Gary Neville rubbishes Declan Rice comparison as Arsenal star 'nowhere near' iconic duo
Gary Neville feels that Arsenal newcomer Declan Rice has significant room to improve.
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Manchester United legend Gary Neville believes that Declan Rice is 'nowhere near' the level of Patrick Vieira or Roy Keane. An intense discussion with fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher saw Arsenal's record signing compared with Premier League icons of the past, although Neville feels that he still has a way to go.
Rice is now the most expensive Englishman in football history after his £105million move from West Ham. The 24-year-old has excelled since ditching defence for midfield as a youngster, although many feel that he needs to add goals to his game.
The disparity in strike-rates became apparent when Neville, Carragher and former England international Karen Carney compared Rice's statistics with those of Keane and Vieira on Monday Night Football.
And while Neville believes that Rice is a top-level player who can offer plenty to Mikel Arteta's side, he also feels that comparisons to former team-mate Keane and Gunners legend Vieira are unwarranted at this stage of his career.
"What I think he brings to Arsenal's midfield is power, personality and physicality," the 48-year-old told Sky Sports. "[Michael] Essien brought that to Chelsea. That, for me, would be a better example of what I see him as.
"Essien was a brilliant player, I thought he was outstanding, but he was the power in there for three or four years. Personally, I wouldn't put Rice in the category of Keane and Vieira.
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"I just think they were so special and Declan isn't anywhere near that level yet. For me, £105m, you want goals and assists too. But that's the way the market has shifted."
Carragher added to the debate by suggesting that Rice should be improving his output if he wants to be classed as an elite midfielder. "I don't think I would describe [Keane or Vieira] as real attacking players or defensive players," said the ex-Liverpool star.
"I would class them as all-round midfielders. I think Declan Rice's current role is that of an all-round midfielder. He will have license to get in the box, and his goal contributions have to increase. He has got to be able to take those chances and finish."
Arteta has already addressed the fact that he plans to use Rice as a defensive midfielder and a box-to-box player at various points this season. The former West Ham captain was deployed in a double-pivot with Thomas Partey for the Gunners' Premier League clash with Crystal Palace on Monday night.