Jamie Carragher has backed what West Ham fans have said all along about Declan Rice in a brutal assessment of Arsenal live on air.
There has been no love lost between West Ham and Arsenal since Declan Rice completed a £105m move from east to north London.
Prior to Rice’s transfer, relations between the Hammers and Gunners had historically been relatively cordial.
Both clubs have similar ideals on the way football should be played and of course share a mutual dislike of Spurs.
Rice led West Ham to their first major trophy for 43 years before leaving for Arsenal.
Many Hammers fans still have nothing but love and respect for their homegrown former skipper.
Why West Ham fans had a problem with Rice joining Arsenal
But when he has faced West Ham since joining Arsenal, the England midfielder has been subjected to panto jeers from those who used to cheer him.
And he has repeatedly been told by the chanting Hammers faithful: ‘You should have signed for a big club’.
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That stems from Rice’s defection to Arsenal over Man City – which burned bridges with many Hammers supporters.
Pep Guardiola has confirmed since the Rice transfer, that Man City matched Arsenal’s bid to West Ham for his services.
Rice had declared he was leaving West Ham to compete for, and win, the top trophies in the game.
Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
Photo by Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu via Getty Images
Hammers supporters knew for some time he would be leaving and were at peace with the fact as Man City and Bayern Munich jostled for position.
Given his wishes, a move to Man City was the most palatable of any.
Not just because West Ham and Man City fans share a close bond dating back to 1987.
But because Man City are as close to a sure thing as any player can get when it comes to being guaranteee silverware.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are not – as West Ham fans warned Rice before he chose the Emirates over the Etihad.
Had Rice joined Man City he would have been applauded out of the London Stadium exit door.
Carragher backs West Ham fans over Rice in Arsenal assessment
By choosing the Gunners, West Ham supporters were proved right immediately as Rice missed out on winning the Premier League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup with Man City.
West Ham played their part in ending Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes in both of Rice’s first two seasons with Mikel Arteta, winning 2-0 and 1-0 at the Emirates.
And Hammers fans have been quick to goad Rice for making what they feel was the wrong choice of club if he did want to go out and win silverware.
West Ham fans have also taken great pleasure in the fact Rice’s last major trophy came in the claret and blue.
Now Jamie Carragher has backed West Ham fans over Rice in a brutal Arsenal assessment.
The Sky Sports pundit has always been a huge fan of Rice from his Hammers days.
Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
Photo by DANIEL LEAL/AFP via Getty Images
Speaking ahead of Arsenal’s game at champions Liverpool, Carragher stated he believes Rice will soon start to wonder whether he has made the wrong choice leaving West Ham for Arsenal.
Carragher says West Ham’s former captain has been comfortably Arsenal’s best player this season with nothing to show for it again.
Rice turns 27 next season. And Carragher thinks he may start to have doubts over his future in the next 12 months if Arsenal don’t bring home silverware next term.
“I don’t think right now (he will be considering his future),” Carragher said on Sky Sports.
"I think those doubts kick in, maybe in another 12 months" ⏱️
Jamie Carragher thinks that Declan Rice may start to question if he can win at Arsenal 🏆 pic.twitter.com/ysWtoAmPPN
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Rice will start to have doubts over Arsenal choice, says Carragher
“Maybe for others in the team who have been there a bit longer. But in terms of Declan I think he’s been Arsenal’s best player this season.
“I’m not saying he’ll give it another 12 months, but I think those doubts (over whether he has made the wrong choice and needs to move on to win trophies) maybe kick in, in maybe another 12 months…
“They are very close but we all know ourselves as (former) players the final step is the biggest one.”
And that is why West Ham fans have always had a big problem with Rice opting for Arsenal over Man City in his stated pursuit of silverware.
Missing out on silverware may not be Rice’s only worry either.
While highly unlikely, Arsenal could face missing out on Champions League football if they don’t win their last two games of the season against Newcastle and Southampton.