Declan Rice makes Everton and Goodison Park claim to Gary Neville

Declan Rice has labelled Goodison Park as the most hostile crowd he has faced in his career so far.

The 23-year-old West Ham midfielder has forged a considerable reputation in the Premier League, with his performances making him a regular starter for England.

Despite his clear leadership qualities though, Rice had confessed that he doesn’t relish heading to face Everton on Merseyside.

Rice has played at Goodison six times in his career - and some of those results may explain why he considers Everton the toughest place to go.

Speaking with Gary Neville on The Overlap , when asked for the most hostile away ground he had played in, Rice answered: “Probably Goodison.”

His first experience of the stadium came in only the seventh league game of his career, back in 2017.

Coming on as a substitute, Rice’s first involvement was to lose out to Ashley Williams at a corner as the defender put Everton 4-0 up in David Unsworth’s final game in caretaker charge, which included a hat-trick for Wayne Rooney.

While his most recent defeat at Goodison came in Everton’s 4-1 win last season in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Filling in at centre-half for David Moyes’ side, Dominic Calvert-Lewin was the hat-trick hero for the Blues that time, with Richarlison also getting his name on the scoresheet.

Overall, Rice has been part of three wins and three defeats at Goodison, but it’s clearly an experience that has stuck with the Hammers man.