There wasn't many positives to draw from Ireland's defeat to Turkey last Friday but the performance of Declan Rice was the one morsel of good news that all of us Ireland fans latched onto.
The West Ham youngster has made 18 league appearances for the Hammers this season and looked comfortable in the green of Ireland, albeit in the low stake event that is the international friendly.
Rice got much love from fans and pundits alike after his performance in Antalya, Niall Quinn in particular heaped praise on the 19-year-old writing in the Irish Mirror that Rice is on a similar level to Manchester City's John Stones:
It’s a real gift to have a player who can defend and play football. How far is he away from John Stones, for instance, who was transferred for £50m? For me he can already do a lot of what John Stones can do.
Quinn went on to commend Rice's flexibility again comparing him to Paul McGrath and while Rice's progress has been heartening for Irish fans, Quinn may be jumping the shark with comparisons to Stones and McGrath.
The kind of pressure that comes when pundits start to mention your name in the same breath as Paul McGrath (even if the comparison is only slight) cannot be helpful for Rice.
Even the putting the defender on the same playing level as John Stones is dangerous. The former Everton man may not be the highest yardstick by which you measure a defender but the 23-year-old has still performed in high pressure Champions League ties, has won the Premier League and has been a constant figure in the England squad. Rice, however impressive he has been, has not been challenged in the same way Stones has. Sure Rice has shown himself as being able to perform in a struggling West Ham side but to say he is on even close to John Stones is something of a leap.
A degree of patience, caution and common sense must prevail when nurturing a talent such as Rice's and instead of gushing praise, Quinn would do well to be more measured in his appraisal of the 19-year-old.
