On his final weekend as a youngster, Declan Rice scored the primary senior aim of his profession.
The ball was bobbling across the field earlier than Samir Nasri bought it below management, rolling it again for Rice to lash into the highest nook. From a former Arsenal participant to a future one, it was becoming that Rice’s emphatic strike proved to be the one aim of the sport in a victory for West Ham towards the Gunners in January 2019.
Manuel Pellegrini, West Ham’s supervisor on the time, was already lauding Rice as a “full participant”. 4 and a half years later, Arsenal have secured the midfielder’s providers for a British-record £105m switch payment.
For the primary time since his days in Chelsea’s academy a decade in the past, Rice might be lining up towards West Ham within the coming season. Here is when the previous Hammers captain will go toe to toe together with his previous teammates.
26 December 2023 – Arsenal v West Ham (Premier League)
Except Arsenal get drawn towards West Ham within the opening rounds of the Carabao Cup, Rice should wait till Boxing Day to face his previous employers.
Rice was carrying the West Ham armband when David Moyes’ aspect travelled to the Emirates on Boxing Day 2022. Stated Benrahma put the guests in entrance from the spot within the opening half-hour however a flurry of targets from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Eddie Nketiah earned the Gunners an emphatic 3-1 win.
In Arsenal’s first recreation after the World Cup and the primary of Gabriel Jesus’ harm layoff, it served as a defiant victory within the membership’s title tilt.
The reverse fixture towards Rice and West Ham proved to be the start of the tip of Arsenal’s bid because the Gunners ceded a two-goal lead to attract. By the way, it was a sort out from Rice excessive in Arsenal’s half that kick-started West Ham’s comeback.
10 February 2024 – West Ham v Arsenal (Premier League)
Rice will enter the London Stadium as an opposition Premier League participant for the primary time in his profession firstly of February. West Ham have not performed a top-flight match at dwelling with out Rice concerned since Could 2021 – Everton, coached by Carlo Ancelotti on the time, gained 1-0.
It is going to be Rice’s one centesimal Premier League look on the London Stadium – Aaron Cresswell is the one different participant to crack triple digits for the reason that former Olympic venue was taken over by West Ham in 2016.
READ MORE ABOUT THE DECLAN RICE TO ARSENAL TRANSFER SAGA
By lifting the Europa Convention League in Eindhoven firstly of June, Rice joined the unique checklist of West Ham captains to have gained a trophy with the membership. Billy Bonds, Bobby Moore and – technically – Steve Lomas.
The latter was carrying the armband when West Ham gained the 1999 Intertoto Cup – but, that honour was considerably diluted as each Juventus and Montpellier also can lay declare to that 12 months’s award.
There have been no caveats relating to West Ham’s European success below Rice final season. The Hammers gained 12 of their 13 matches, snatching the membership’s first main European title in 58 years with Jarrod Bowen’s Ninetieth-minute winner towards Fiorentina within the closing.
Whereas Rice’s closing season at West Ham was domestically dominated by a relegation battle – which the membership comfortably gained – the England worldwide was a staple of the group that recorded consecutive league finishes inside the highest seven for the primary time within the membership’s historical past.
Throughout West Ham’s whole top-flight historical past stretching again 100 years, Rice has performed in 17% of the membership’s top-half league finishes.
After he was tossed out of Chelsea’s academy as a 14-year-old and battled his means into West Ham’s set-up, Rice’s unbridled enthusiasm on the pitch – as a lot because the success which his expertise impressed – cemented his standing as a fan favorite.
Rice’s former teammate and mentor Mark Noble promised: “Dec will all the time be hailed at West Ham as a improbable participant and such a high, high particular person. However I don’t assume anybody begrudges him desirous to go and win issues.” That principle might be put the check when Rice goes up towards West Ham within the coming season.
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On this version of The Chronicles of a Gooner, a part of the 90min podcast community, Harry Symeou reacts to the newest information relating to Declan Rice to Arsenal and evaluation the Kai Havertz announcement.
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