Sergio Aguero says one England star is on the ‘same level’ as a Barcelona legend

The highest foreign goalscorer in Premier League history has talked up the ability of England midfielder Declan Rice.

Declan Rice is on the ‘same level’ as legendary Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, according to Sergio Aguero.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder has drawn interest from top clubs in recent seasons following his performances for West Ham. Not only is he now a fully-fledged member of the England national team, but he also captains the Hammers after succeeding the retired Mark Noble in the summer.

“For me, he is a great player and is at the same level as the best midfielders like Busquets, Rodri, and Casemiro,” former Manchester City and Barcelona striker Aguero told Stake.com of Rice.

“It seems to me that he is valued. What happens is that with him not being in a ‘Big Six’ team, he does not get talked about as much.

“But he has proven himself and I think he is one of the strengths of the England team at the World Cup.”

Can England win the World Cup?

Rice will hope to impress in the upcoming World Cup, with England to play Iran next Monday for their Group B opener. The Three Lions are desperate to end a 56-year wait for glory, especially after reaching the final of Euro 2020.

“I think they have a team to get excited about,” Aguero said of England.

“They could not win the Euro but they showed in that tournament that they are a team to be feared.”

The ex-Argentina international added: “I know they have had some losses in defense but they have replacements and also a mix of young players already established like [Phil] Foden, [Mason] Mount, Declan Rice, [Marcus] Rashford, [Jude] Bellingham and [Bukayo] Saka with others with more experience like [Raheem] Sterling, [Jordan] Henderson and [Harry] Kane.”