West Ham defender Pablo Zabaleta does not want pressure putting on Hammers midfielder Declan Rice, who is slowly becoming an indispensable part of the team.
Rice continued his impressive form from the game against Everton with yet another stellar showing against Chelsea during West Ham’s 0-0 draw at the London Stadium on Sunday.
The 19-year-old screened the back four effortlessly against Maurizio Sarri’s men as the hosts salvaged a crucial point that will have them brimming with confidence.
The Hammers could well do with more of the same from Rice as they prepare to face Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday after their EFL Cup clash against Macclesfield Town on Wednesday.
Zabaleta, who won two league titles with Manchester City before joining West Ham, is keen not to put too much pressure on Rice as he is still only developing and can become an important player in the future for the club.
“Declan is young, he still has room for improvement for sure, but you can see he has the right attitude and ability to be become one of the greatest players for West Ham”, Zabaleta told the club’s official website.
“He looks so mature and he has proven week in, week out that he can perform for the team.
“So as a team-mate for me he is one of those young players that you like to look after and all the information I can give to him I will.
“We don’t need to put so much pressure on him now, we need to help him to keep improving.
"It’s step by step and then let’s see how far he can go as a player”, he added.
Rice made his senior international debut for Ireland earlier this year, but is still eligible to play for England if he decides to switch allegiance.
