David Sullivan has made it clear that Declan Rice has played his last game for the club admitting: “He has set his heart on going. Claret and Hugh has revealed on various occasions that Declan and the club has a gentlemen’s agreement allowing him to leave

Declan last night gave an impression after the Conference Final victory that he could possibly stay but the chairman now seems to have firmly ruled that out.The Hammers had not engaged in transfer talk over Rice until their season had come to an end but, after their  final victory, it seems a decision has been made.

Speaking to talkSPORT on Thursday, Sullivan said: ‘I think it has to be [his last game]. We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going.

He said: ‘You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season. In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement – or several replacements. ‘It’s not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down. 

‘It’s cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go. You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.’

Sullivan explained in a forthright interview: ‘I think the offers will start to come today,’here are three or four clubs who have shown interest, but out of respect to West Ham, while we’re still playing, you don’t make offers for players. That’s not the way decent clubs do things.’