Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips has heaped praised on fellow England international Declan Rice, who has established himself as a regular for club and country. The 21-year-old has built up his reputation over the past few years and he is currently one of the first names on the team sheet for the Three Lions under Gareth Southgate.

He has been earning plenty of plaudits of late and Phillips, who only recently broke into the national team setup has hailed his compatriot, he told: “Declan’s obviously a very good player. He is younger than me as well. He has got a lot of experience in the Premier League, as I have not. For him to be playing for England so young is unbelievable for him. It’s very good for him.”

Earlier this summer, Rice was touted to make the return to former club Chelsea where he started his youth career. However, the Blues could not afford him after a spending spree of more than 200 million pounds, but they are likely to make a renewed approach next year. Knowing the interest, the Hammers boss David Moyes has handed him the captain’s armband on a regular basis, but it appears only a matter of time before he makes the move elsewhere.

Rice has also been linked with a move to Manchester United over the past few days. West Ham are in a strong position to keep him with more than three years left on his contract with the option for another 12 months and reports claim that they won’t accept anything less than £80m to sanction his sale. With the club going well in the top-flight, they may wait until next summer before accepting any offers for their prized asset, who has already racked more than 125 appearances in all competitions with them.