Mark Noble has said that West Ham's Declan Rice is not like other captains in the Premier League.
The 24-year-old has earned plenty of plaudits, not just for his performances on the pitch for the Hammers, but also for how he is off the pitch including his interactions with fans.
The latest example of this was after West Ham's 1-0 win against Manchester United at the London Stadium on Sunday, when Rice was seen in a video hugging a young fan and giving him his shirt as the boy got emotional talking to him.
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His actions earned Rice plenty of praise from West Ham fans and supporters of other clubs alike, but for former Hammers captain Noble, it was no surprise. Indeed, Noble has been waxing lyrical about his successor as West Ham skipper, with the club's sporting director explaining what sets Rice apart from others.
"If it was going to be anyone who was going to replace me as captain, it was him [Rice]," he told BBC Sport. "He carries on the morals that I had, he carries on the love for the club and the love for the fans. Everyone has seen that clip [after the Manchester United game], but that's Dec. We expect that. That's just the way he is. You don't get that from captains in the Premier League.
"As I said before, there are times when I walk in my son's room and Dec's on FaceTime to him talking about his game at the weekend. He's like that, that's him. He's got such a big heart, such a kind person.
"I actually say to him, Dec, listen in your position you can't be nice to everyone because people are going to take advantage of you. But he knows that. The way he carries himself, the way he speaks to the press, the way he is with the players. It's just the person he is and people don't see that."
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