David Moyes says Declan Rice ‘should be welcomed back with open arms’ to West Ham
Declan Rice will make his return to West Ham on Wednesday night when Arsenal visit the London Stadium in the Carabao Cup round of 16. The England international swapped East for North London over the summer in a record transfer worth £105million, and Irons manager David Moyes says he ‘should be welcomed back with open arms’.
Rice’s Rise to Stardom at West Ham
Rice made his debut for West Ham in 2017 and went on to play 245 times for the club, establishing himself as one of the world’s best players in his position. He was named club captain in his final year at the London Stadium, leading the club to the Europa Conference League title.
Though his departure had felt inevitable for ages, there is nothing but praise for the amicable way in which it happened. Moyes said: ‘The way Dec conducted himself, he was involved with the supporters, he was always seen helping the club out. And the most important thing was he gave 100% in every game even though we all sort of know he wasn’t staying at West Ham. For that alone he deserves to be cheered.’
Rice’s Return to West Ham
With Thomas Partey injured, Mikel Arteta confirmed that Rice will play some role in the match, though it is uncertain whether he’ll be in the starting XI, especially with a tricky league clash at Newcastle on Saturday. Either way, the Arsenal boss says the reunion will be ‘beautiful’ and Moyes echoes this comments – even if he is hopeful that the defensive midfielder doesn’t actually get on the pitch.
Moyes said: ‘I hope we’ll see Declan back. This is the man who lifted the first European trophy in 50 years at West Ham. He should be welcomed back with open arms. I’m really looking forward to seeing him, I’ve not seen him since he left. I’m not sure I want him to play! But I hope he is there.’
Conclusion
Declan Rice’s return to West Ham is sure to be an emotional one for both the player and the fans. Though his departure had felt inevitable for ages, there is nothing but praise for the amicable way in which it happened. David Moyes says Rice ‘should be welcomed back with open arms’ and it will be interesting to see how he is received by the home crowd.