Former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic admits he didn't see Declan Rice as a midfielder.
Rice came through the club's academy when Bilic was in charge.
He recalled to the Daily Mail: "We thought he might one day turn out to be West Ham captain as a centre-back, a John Terry type, because he was very reliable and had that determination.
"But let's not bull****. Did he look like he would go on to be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League? No, I can't lie.
"What I liked was the way he reacted if he made a mistake, as he did in a game at Newcastle. He was angry with himself but he responded like an experienced player. 'S*** happens but I'm ready to go again'.
"Young players can have great ability, physique, technique but let's not forget that what Decs has character, game intelligence, determination are also qualities. That's what made great captains like Roy Keane and Bryan Robson."