Declan Rice’s mentor and early Hammers influence Terry Westley has been following the stories on his former protegee this week and here CandH’s exclusive blogger gives his view on what may happen next.
Terry Westley talking to Hughie Southon
I was more surprised to read the Irons had offered Declan a couple of new deals than that his advisors had turned them down.
After all he is already on a long term deal at the club and there can be no reason to commit himself beyond another three of four years at the age of 22.
The Hammers probably didn’t expect him to rush around looking for a biro anyway but that they should have offered a new contract shows how keen they are to keep him at the London Stadium and demonstrate that to the fans too.
The idea that they would offer to make him anything less than the club’s top earner is utterly ludicrous by the way. David Moyes and the board know what they have on their hands and were clearly ready to go all the way.
However, with no bids having been made there’s absolutely no panic about him going anywhere and were there to be it would have to be an absolutely massive figure for them to accept at this stage of his time with the club.
There’s been a lot of talk about the lad having had his head turned by England colleagues with bigger clubs but that’s daft. He knows what he’s worth and the lifestyle he’s likely to enjoy elsewhere and although it may happen at some time right I don’t see that time as now..
I could be wrong because I’ve been in the game too long to count anything out. Should England win the Euros – in which Dec has so far played a major part – there could be bids from anywhere but with finances as they are it has to be unlikely.
I see him being at West Ham for another season at least. Should a bid come next summer it may well be a different kettle of fish as his contract runs down.
I’ve said many times before Declan is not money motivated because he will know anyway that in being one of the best payers around that will follow regardless. He just wants to be the best.
There’s been an awful lot of noise this week but that’s all there has been and honestly, there is no real reason for it at this point.
He is going to be a very expensive player indeed when the time comes and that will give the Irons reinvestment figure of real size.
Whatever happens the Hammers are the winners!
I completely understand why contracts in general should remain behind closed doors (for any industry, not just football). I also understand that agents / players put hints out there because they either want out or they want a higher salary. DR and his family / management haven’t had to do that like Arnautovic and his bro – simply because the lad sells himself on the pitch week in week out. He has a real chance of meeting certain ambitions of winning slverware with us. He’s got the captains armband for the forseeable future, and already has the core of a team being built around him. Whilst he will want CL footie, I’m certain he will get that with us. The board and management know how important it is to keep our best player. No club should ever sell their best player after all – but if he does want to play CL footie than no one can blame him, as long as we get at least 100 mill at the very least. That could go a very long way in the hands of Moysey and as Terry says in the article above, it’s win win for us. But with all that said I’m sure we all want him to stay with us. He has the opportunity of legend status without doubt. The real thing that bugs me though is when a player keeps quiet with some of the BS articles out there. It starts to make mr wonder if these stories of him saying he wants out are true. Whilst a player should keep his own negotiations and contract deals between him and the club, they should also be the first to come out with both barrels blazing away to deny any reports that have no element of truth at all. The silence around negative stories can be deafening. I fully understand the lad is focused on the Euro’s right now, but the sooner they’re over and done with, the sooner I hope we get better feedback from DR and co. If only I could get some of the tax dodgers in Jerey to invest! It would be even better if we somehow got bought out by a consortium of very wealthy hammers, that has the dosh to back up and copete with City and the Ruskies – eventually building the best team in Eruope around DR…oh yeahhhhhhhh babyyyyyyyy…ok time for my funny pills again!
Yeah suppose mate ..I just want to know what he thinks..can he see himself doing a noble with us or does he want to shoot of in a year or so…any ideas…? If he did you couldn’t blame him if big clubs came in ,,..or can we hope to really build a team round him for the nxt 3/4 years at least
iT WOULD BE ABSIOLUTELY FANTASTIC to see him stay but there’s a different football world out there to the one many of us grew up in. I understand his reluctance to sign his life away – not sure I would
Not about money, the first question should be ,does he want to stay if the contract is right
Personally Childish – assuming it is for example for another four years, I wouldn’t expect him or any other 22 year old, to sign his future away until he is nearly 30 as that would involve things other than money