Joe Cole believes Edson Alvarez can fill the Declan Rice void at West Ham - 'He's absolutely perfect'

Joe Cole believes Edson Alvarez can play the role Declan Rice did West Ham, even if he is not a direct replacement.

West Ham lost their captain and star player over the summer when Rice joined London rivals Arsenal in a £105 million move.

Rice’s last action as a Hammers player was to lift the UEFA Europa Conference League trophy, after he captained his side to a 2-1 victory against Fiorentina in Prague.

Following the departure of Rice, West Ham signed Mexican midfielder Edson Alvarez from Ajax in a deal worth £35.4m.

Winning the Conference League in June secured West Ham a place in this season’s UEFA Europa League, where they will play in Group A alongside Olympiacos, Freiburg and TSC Backa Topola.

Unfortunately for coach David Moyes, Alvarez will not be available for his side’s opener against Topola on Thursday due to suspension.

While keen not to directly compare Alvarez to the man he has replaced, former West Ham midfielder Joe Cole said the 25-year-old could offer some of the things that Rice did.

“Alvarez is a big miss for them,” Cole told TNT Sports ahead of West Ham’s group-stage opener at the London Stadium with discovery+ the only place to watch the UEFA Champions League live.

“[James] Ward-Prowse has taken the plaudits because of his ability and what he’s done, he’s been brilliant, outstanding.

“But don’t underestimate Alvarez. He's absolutely perfect… not a replacement for Declan because that would be a tall order. But he can do what Declan did for the club.”

While losing a player of Rice’s quality and importance was not ideal, Cole argued that Moyes’ squad is in a great position to build on last season’s European success.

“The squad looks stronger, the squad looks richer, but also I think all of those players from last year will take their game on 5%,” Cole said.

“You have to remember that not many of those players were decorated, in the sense that they weren’t winners. Now they’re winners, it lifts you as a player. You start thinking ‘I want more of that’.”

After welcoming Serbian outfit TSC Backa Topola to East London on Thursday, West Ham will travel to Germany to take on Freiburg on Thursday, October 5.

- - -

TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media