Whenever Declan Rice strides out for Arsenal there are mixed emotions amongst West Ham fans. The club which nurtured the youngster after he’d been ditched by Chelsea and helped shape him into a world class talent – and for whom his last act was to lift the Europa Conference League trophy – looks on with a mix of emotions as his career goes from strength to strength.
Mixed feelings as Rice’s Arsenal come to force West Ham closer to the Premier League trapdoor
Some will resent, others envy, some resort to primeval hatred no doubt, some will have a secret sense of vicarious pride – most, though, I suspect, hope he comes back one day in the twilight of his career for another stint à la Joe Cole.
As seems increasingly likely, Rice will get to realise his ambition and finally win another trophy this season with his adopted north London club poised to lift the Premier League title in the next couple of games and now through to the Champions League final.
Declan Rice’s last act as a Hammer. That’s me down there on the left BTW.
So when Rice returns to his former home, quite possibly to deliver a fatal blow to West Ham’s Premier League survival hopes, there’s more than a twinge of emotion evident from the player himself ahead of Sunday’s season defining West Ham v Arsenal game.
As Journalist Ben Jacobs on twitter reports, the former Hammers captain has revealed there’s still a place in his heart for his former club:
“It’s a club which gave me everything. Without West Ham, there’s no me. I honestly believe that. They gave me a chance when Chelsea didn’t”
“A lot of people there really did push me on. Moyes, Bilic, and Pellegrini made me captain. There’s loads of good things about that club. “It’s not nice to see the position they are, but it’s football and I have a job to do. We’re trying to win a Premier League title. May the best team win.”
Well put. And for Hammers fans the same applies. On Sunday, Dec, hope you come second.
I have nothing but admiration for Declan Rice as a person and a footballer! He is a great ambassador for youngsters and a genuinely nice person. He respects the people that have enhanced his life and is loyal to them and his family. I hope he captains ENGLAND in the World Cup and brings it back home to us!
Right, cool… and..? What’s that got to do with what I said..?
You do realise that pretty much every other comment on this thread are ones basically saying if Arsenal win the league then it’s good because Rice deserves it and you decide to reply that on mine because I said that Rice’s statement was correct..?
That’s some outstanding logic you’re displaying, chief.
I wish him no ill will, I still love Decs and hopes he wins everything with Arsenal. The boy deserves it, he was colossal for us and hopefully one day we get to see him in a claret and blue shirt. Let’s hope he is rested along with many others on Sunday
Arsenal will give us a good pumping likely as not and Declan will probably score. I just hope the morons don’t start with the Judas chants and boo him throughout the game. He was fantastic for us and we shouldn’t forget that. He deserved a move to a bigger club, better run and more ambitious than West Ham. I wish him nothing but the best (but I hope he has an off day on Sunday…).
Two wins will make Arsenal nigh on certainly champions, they will be more than motivated on Sunday. I can’t see anything other than a defeat in it for us when nothing less than a win will do.
It’s the boards fault that we’re in this position.
You don’t think they’ll blow out then? 🤣
When he was at WHU, you could see him working on different aspects of his game. Everyone said he was passing sideways too much and that changed, he changed from a DM to a midfielder who could also carry the ball to the opponents box, started shooting more and you could see him dribble & feint with the ball more, to make space for himself in midfield, while never losing his ability to read the game, cover and tackle.
He did it all pretty quickly and that is when you know it is him who is concentrating & working on it. Same way Bowen said he wanted to be able to shoot with both feet.
Deserves every success that will come his way.
I mean, he’s not wrong. End of the day, he’s got a job to do.
It was around a decade before my time, but look at Denis Law when he was at Man City and scored with the cheeky backheel that, in his mind, could have relegated the side he’d spent over a decade with.
He had a job to do and obviously took no pride in it but still done what he had to.
It’d be pretty daft to take it personally as Rice naturally wants to win so, as he says, may the best team win. Preferably that’ll be the one playing in claret… with the teensiest bit of blue if you really squint.
I hope he wins nothing! He joined the cringiest club in world football!
From the terrible song they shove down everyones throats to the David Brent manager..it would be great to see them all fail..