The midfielder originally joined West Ham as a young player and worked his way into the first team, amassing 245 appearances during his time there. The pinnacle of his West Ham career came in his final match, where Rice captained the team to a historic Europa Conference League victory over Fiorentina, marking their first major trophy win in decades. Subsequently, an exit seemed inevitable, and Arsenal emerged as the winners in the race to sign Rice in a deal worth over £100 million.
Rice’s move to Arsenal has been a successful one in the early weeks, with the 24-year-old already making a significant impact on the team as Mikel Arteta’s side remains undefeated in the Premier League. Now, the focus shifts to the League Cup, where Arsenal faces a tough away draw against West Ham.
It remains to be seen whether Rice will participate in the match, but if he does, it will be his first professional game against West Ham, the club where he rose to prominence.
David Moyes, West Ham’s manager, has commented on Declan Rice’s return, expressing the view that the player should be warmly received by the West Ham fans if he plays for Arteta’s team.
Moyes stated, “You’ve got to remember this is the man who lifted this club’s first European trophy in more than 50 years. He should be welcomed back with open arms. We’re all looking forward to seeing him again. He was a brilliant member of the team. He led the team brilliantly well. He conducted himself impeccably as a West Ham captain and as a player. The most important thing was that he gave 100 percent in every game, even though we sort of knew he probably wasn’t going to stay at West Ham. So all credit to him. He conducted himself brilliantly well, and for that alone, he deserves to be cheered.”
Moyes also expressed his anticipation of seeing Declan Rice again, mentioning that he hasn’t seen him since he left and expressing some uncertainty about whether he wants him to play, but he hopes Rice will be present.
Regarding the possibility of Rice starting for Arsenal, Arteta is likely to want his team to advance but will also consider the importance of keeping the squad fresh. Consequently, there is a high likelihood that Rice may not be in the starting lineup. Arteta is expected to provide an opportunity to those on the fringes of the squad to demonstrate their capabilities, as he did in the previous round against Brentford, where Rice did not participate.
The priorities for this season are the Premier League and the Champions League, which is understandable. Therefore, it will be intriguing to see the starting lineup, but if Rice takes the field, he is sure to receive a warm reception from West Ham supporters.