Tuchel praises Declan Rice: "He's impressive"

Tuchel didn't want to, but he did. He was asked about Declan Rice in the press room, ahead of the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United. He does not usually give free rein to market information, but, in this case, he did so because of how well he spoke about the player, of whom he underlined that he is "impressive".

"He's a Chelsea boy," he had said earlier in the season, referring to the fact that he came through their youth academy. On this occasion, he maintained that he holds him in "very high" regard. "He is predisposed, he is a captain, he plays with a lot of responsibility. He is a physical player, with a very strategic mentality...", he continued.

"He seems like a great guy from what everyone tells me and he's from the Chelsea academy and he always shows his quality. That's the most important thing. He seems to be playing every game. He's key for his side and a key player, although that's no surprise - everyone sees that," he added.

"He's a huge part of West Ham's success and that's impressive. Moyes' valuation of him at €180m? Maybe those players are out of our reach even if we weren't in crisis when you hear the prices being talked about," he added.

 

April 23, 2022