Man Utd told where they can find their next Roy Keane and fix midfield problems

Manchester United have been told where they can find the next Roy Keane and fix their midfield problems.

Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have been singing the praises of West Ham star Declan Rice, who produced a 'Keane-esque' performance for the Irons as they beat Everton on Sunday at Goodison Park.

The Red Devils are in the market for a holding midfielder to offer them more solidity and allow Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to deploy more attackers playing while not leaving themselves too open, like in their 4-2 defeat to Leicester City on Sunday.

Solskjaer has persisted with Fred and Scott McTominay on the big occasions but United supporters are clamouring for one defensive-minded midfielder to be signed, with Rice touted as a potential option despite his reported £100million price tag.

Rice has already captained West Ham on a number of occasions

Speaking on Sky Sports' Monday Night Football, Carragher said: "I watched Declan Rice yesterday and I gave him man of the match.

"The way I watched Rice yesterday it reminded me of a Roy Keane type of performance.

"I never judged Roy Keane on goals or assists or Patrick Vieira, they were just top midfield players and that was his performance yesterday.

"Running the game from midfield with a presence, punching passes in the way Roy Keane used to.

"Running forward with and without the ball and every time Everton attacked he was the guy who seemed to stop them.

Rice shone in the Euro 2020 final despite England losing on penalties ( Image:

Getty Images)

"It was a brilliant performance and I'm a huge fan of his."

Neville admitted the next step for the 22-year-old's development is to move away from the London Stadium, stating: "He'll have to transfer to a team in the Champions League.

"Where he plays in midfield; where there's high expectations; where he's playing against teams that are dropping deep every week and there will be different asks."

The former Red Devils star added: "A holding midfield player in a top team, he definitely could do it.

"If you look at Liverpool and Fabinho in the next couple of years.

"And Manchester United with Fred and [Nemanja] Matic.

"McTominay might be there for a couple of years but generally there's some jobs coming up.

" Jorginho, how long will he be at Chelsea? And Fernandinho at City as well.

"He will go to one of those top clubs and he's got to prove he can deliver that jump."

So what has Keane himself said of Rice?

Following his impressive showing for England at the European Championships after helping West Ham to quality for the Europa League, a competition which he already has two goals in, the United legend claimed that there is a "lot more" to come from Rice when discussing the young leader in September.

"I think Declan's improved as much as any player over the last one or two seasons," Keane declared on Sky Sports.

"I know he's been linked with Man United and if you'd have asked me a year or two ago, I would have thought give him another year or two in terms of maturing.

"I look to where I was when I was 22," the ex-Man United captain continued. "I think he's way ahead of me when I was 22.

"I think the next step will come when he's playing at a higher level, Champions League, competing for trophies."