“He gets in the Liverpool team” – Jamie O’Hara claims 23-year-old midfielder is ‘better than’ Jordan Henderson
Former Premier League player Jamie O'Hara believes West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is better than Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson. The former Tottenham Hotspur player believes Rice would get into the current Reds' team.
According to Evening Standard, the West Ham midfielder has been linked with a move away this summer. The likes of Manchester United and Chelsea are said to be interested in the star.
O'Hara speculated about the Englishman's next destination on talkSPORT's YouTube channel on 24 March. One fan claimed Rice would find it tough to make it to Jurgen Klopp's team, to which O'Hara responded:
“He gets in the Liverpool team. Come on! He’s better than Henderson. I know he’s won more, and I know he’s a great captain for Liverpool, but is he better than Declan Rice? Rice can do everything that Henderson can do.”
According to Daily Mail, West Ham have put an astonishing price tag of £150 million on their prized midfielder. Rice is under contract at West Ham till 2024 and thus the club could demand a big transfer fee if the Englishman departs this summer.
“He doesn’t need to leave.”
“I wouldn’t leave West Ham right now. If #MUFC come in for him, why would he go & join them??”❌ “He doesn’t need to leave.”
🙌 “I wouldn’t leave West Ham right now. If #MUFC come in for him, why would he go & join them??”
Jamie O’Hara doesn’t think Declan Rice needs to leave West Ham https://t.co/VtdbvHMq1H
Rice made his senior debut for the Hammers in 2016-17 against Burnley. Since then, he has made 183 appearances across competitions for the club, scoring nine goals and assisting as many.
Henderson, meanwhile, joined the Reds in 2011 from Sunderland. He was made club captain in 2015 after the departure of Steven Gerrard. He has won five major trophies with the club. Henderson has made 433 appearances across competitions for the Reds, scoring 33 goals and making 57 assists.
Liverpool have plenty of options in midfield
Even though O'Hara believes Rice is better than Henderson, the Reds might not be in the market this summer for the West Ham midfielder. That is due to the plethora of options available to Klopp in the middle of the park.
Jordan Henderson:
“I feel good, to be honest. I feel ready. I just take it game by game, prepare myself the best way I can to make sure I am in the best shape possible for the next game and take it from there.” #awlive [lfc] https://t.co/ogtOxargMw
Henderson, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Thiago Alcantara are all regular first-team players in the squad and have performed well. Klopp also has players who can play in multiple positions, including midfield. These include James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott.
Moreover, the £150 million price tag on Rice is likely to deter the Reds from making a move for the player.