West Ham captain Mark Noble heaped praise on fellow midfielder Declan Rice after his sides deserved 1-0 win over Arsenal today at the London Stadium.
19-year-old Rice capped yet another hugely impressive display at the base of the Hammers midfield by scoring the winner in the 48th minute, his first ever goal in senior football.
Speaking after the game West Ham captain Noble labelled his teammate a special talent and urged other young players to look up to Rice as a role model.
“It was hard work. I thought we played brilliantly in the first half without an end product and I am delighted for this young man to score the goal. You could hear it from the fans as well,” Noble told Sky Sports.
“It has been a special six months for Declan, after signing his new deal with the club. I would be surprised if he sleeps tonight. He is a special talent and keeps working hard. If any young footballers across the country need someone to look up to, Declan’s your man.”
"We've been on at him all the time in training all the time, he keeps missing!" 😂
Mark Noble has praised Declan Rice after today's match-winning goal, explaining how the player is a favourite within the squad and amongst the fans. ⬆ pic.twitter.com/5upIE1yJ0D
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 12, 2019