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.<\/p>\n
The north Londoners secured Rice’s services in 2023 following the Hammers’ Conference League win, spending more than \u00a3100m 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 \u00a3100m each as part of a midfield overhaul.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
Gerrard has since praised the Arsenal star, claiming he has the ideal qualities as a central midfielder.<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you walk into the tunnel you think, \u2018Oh my gosh, this is what a midfielder is like.\u2019 If you\u2019re trying to develop a midfielder, he\u2019s got a body to die for.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“I think Declan Rice is a really, really good midfielder in the Premier League,” he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Arn Slott remains under intense scrutiny at Anfield despite their 2-1 victory over Wolves to maintain their fourth consecutive win.<\/p>\n
The Reds currently occupy 4th place in the Premier League standings and are unbeaten in 7 games.<\/p>\n
However, during a turbulent period from September to November, they suffered nine losses, including a devastating four-game losing streak.<\/p>\n
In a candid chat with TNT Sports, Gerrard backed the Dutch manager and vowed to provide unwavering support should the Reds need it.<\/p>\n
He declared: “I’ll be brutally honest: I’ll help Liverpool in any department, any time of the day. I’ll help with anything.”<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
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.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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