Arsenal have some of the best midfielders in the Premier League, and one of them has been in the spotlight all week.

Few players had a bigger say on Wednesday night in Munich than Declan Rice. With Arsenal 2-1 down to Bayern and eight minutes to go, he burst into the box and drilled home his first goal of the season to earn a 2-2 draw. On Monday, he’ll find out where he finishes in the Ballon d’Or rankings, having been nominated for the third year in a row.

Now one of England’s brightest young talents has had his say on just how good Rice is.

Adam Wharton ranks Declan Rice above Pedri

Speaking to Saturday Social via Sky Sports Premier League’s YouTube channel, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton was asked to rank three of the world’s best midfielders: Pedri, Vitinha and Declan Rice.

Wharton put Vitinha first, but placed Rice ahead of Pedri in second, and explained exactly why.

“Obviously Dec playing in the Prem, you see how hard it is to play against him,” he said. “So aggressive off the ball, driving with the ball, if you give him space he will drive into the space. He scored against us the other year, the free-kicks against Madrid. He has a shot on him and there’s a lot more to his game than people see.”

Wharton has played with Rice at England, and earlier this year Wharton revealed that Rice had been helping him behind the scenes at international camps. “I’ve spoken to Declan quite a few times since, and he’s always really positive,” he told talkSPORT in March. “It’s not necessarily just about him giving me advice; it’s more just about speaking about football.”

It’s been quite a week for Rice. Fabrizio Romano reported on Tuesday that his new Arsenal contract is now in its final stages, and he’ll be at the Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, having been in the final 30 for the third year in a row. Whether or not his peers agree with Wharton’s exact ranking, Rice has firmly established himself as one of the very best midfielders in the world.