Steven Gerrard has expressed his disappointment at Liverpool’s failure to secure the signature of Declan Rice. The Arsenal midfielder played a key role under manager Mikel Arteta as the Gunners chased Premier League glory. Gerrard praised the England star and thought the Reds should have made a stronger move for the 26-year-old before Arsenal won the transfer battle with West Ham United.
The north Londoners secured Rice’s services in 2023 following the Hammers’ Conference League win, spending more than £100m to achieve his goal. Liverpool were never seriously involved in a move for Rice, with Manchester United and Arsenal leading the charge that summer. Instead, Jurgen Klopp signed Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister from RB Leipzig and Brighton & Hove Albion for a total of £100m each as part of a midfield overhaul.
Gerrard has since praised the Arsenal star, claiming he has the ideal qualities as a central midfielder.
Speaking on the Smith Brothers podcast, the former Liverpool captain revealed: “I love Declan Rice and have been singing his praises for a long time. I coached Villa against West Ham before they went to Arsenal, but I had never met him in person so I had no idea how great he was.”
“When you walk into the tunnel you think, ‘Oh my gosh, this is what a midfielder is like.’ If you’re trying to develop a midfielder, he’s got a body to die for.
“If you’re 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2 and you’ve got legs and power, that’s the midfielder you want to be. He was calm in possession, up and down, very calm. I really like him as a person, too.”
“I think he’s really coming into a class where he’s becoming a world-class midfielder. He’s probably the player we should have been looking to sign from West Ham. I don’t know if we did, but you can only imagine him in this midfield now.”
It is not the first time Gerrard has heaped similar praise on a midfielder, suggesting Rice’s move to Arsenal has taken his performances to new heights.
“I think Declan Rice is a really, really good midfielder in the Premier League,” he added.
“I like him a lot. I like the kid, I like his mentality, I like the way he got to the next level at Arsenal. He’s adding different things to his game. He’s a really tough, strong opponent and I think he’ll be a good challenge.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arn Slott remains under intense scrutiny at Anfield despite their 2-1 victory over Wolves to maintain their fourth consecutive win.
The Reds currently occupy 4th place in the Premier League standings and are unbeaten in 7 games.
However, during a turbulent period from September to November, they suffered nine losses, including a devastating four-game losing streak.
In a candid chat with TNT Sports, Gerrard backed the Dutch manager and vowed to provide unwavering support should the Reds need it.
He declared: “I’ll be brutally honest: I’ll help Liverpool in any department, any time of the day. I’ll help with anything.”
“I don’t want Arne Slott to lose his job. I want him to fix this and turn it around and make Liverpool great. Four or five months ago, when Liverpool won the league, I was flying around town.”
Gerrard’s dedication to his boyhood club came through when he added: “I’m a Liverpool fan. I want the best for Liverpool. But if Liverpool need me in any department at any time, I’ll be there for them.”
