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.
David Moyes is a winner-Rice-European trophy
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.
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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.