Former West Ham star Joe Cole has sung the praises of Declan Rice after their victory over Europa League opponents Rapid Vienna.

Rice scored in the 2-0 win.

"He saw the space and he attacked it, and that's a skill that certain midfielders have got," Cole, a product of West Ham's academy like Rice, said.

"It's something that can be learned. Some are more natural than others, but Declan Rice is just putting different parts of his game together. He's evolving as a player.

"It was only two years ago that people were thinking, 'oh, maybe he's going to drop back into becoming a centre half', and he'd probably be a top centre half.

"But he's also got the ability to go the other way and score goals. He's just a fantastic player and he's really taken the team by the scruff of the neck over the last five or six games. I've watched him and he's coming on bundles. He's a pleasure to watch."