Declan Rice, West Ham badge
West Ham have Declan Rice to thank. (Credit - Imago)
Rahul Lakhani
Mon 24 March 2025 20:30, UK
West Ham have developed some top-class players at the club over the years, and Declan Rice was one of the best to come through the academy.
Rice departed West Ham for Premier League rivals Arsenal in 2023 for a then-British record fee after helping the Irons win the Europa Conference League, and he has since matured into a senior player for England.
The midfielder became West Ham captain after Mark Noble retired, with the club legend now sporting director at the London Stadium.
Rice is now at Arsenal, playing alongside some incredible young talents such as Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly, and he has now explained how Noble may indirectly be helping their careers develop.
West Ham
Former West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is now a senior player for England
Declan Rice takes on new mentorship role
With Arsenal producing some top-quality young talents, Rice has now explained how he aims to help them develop by using his experience from West Ham.
Stat Declan Rice
Appearances 245
Goals 15
Assists 13
Trophies 1
Declan Rice at West Ham
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“Those three I have kind of taken under my wing a little bit because I have been in that position before and I had older players help me out,” Rice told the BBC when asked about Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly and teenager Max Dowman.
Rice’s quote about older players is clearly a reference to his formative days at West Ham, and points towards the influence Noble had on the England star.
Mark Noble mentored Declan Rice at West Ham
Mark Noble’s influence on Declan Rice at West Ham
Noble was club captain as Rice broke through into the West Ham team in 2018, and he went out of his way to help the youngster develop well at the club.
Speaking in 2019, Joe Cole revealed that Noble was heavily influential on Rice behind the scenes at West Ham.
“Declan has got an old head on young shoulders and is in the right position at the right time,” Cole told talkSPORT.
“Credit has to go to Mark Noble as well, who I know looks after him and acts as a mentor.”
Noble’s mentorship helped Rice develop into a £100m player and had such a lasting impact on him that Rice is now aiming to follow in his footsteps when it comes to aiding young players at his club.
If these Arsenal youngsters such as Nwaneri therefore fulfil their potential, they may have Noble to thank for the lessons he taught Rice which are now being passed on.
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