So Declan Rice is joining a small club in Highbury that failed to win any trophies last season. At least the transfer saga is over and you have to say West Ham have got good money for Declan, £105 million being a record fee between British clubs. Man City previously paid £100m to Villa for Jack Grealish, but that deal presumably included the Grealish Sniper as well.
There aren't many players who could make it clear they weren't going to sign a new contract yet remain so loved. Declan gave everything last season and left in perfect style, becoming the first Hammers' captain since Moore and Bonds to hold up a trophy.
Rice looked special from his second appearance as a sub during a 4-0 drubbing at Old Trafford - he immediately stroked the ball around with a calm assurance that suggested he felt perfectly at home on such a stage. We've had six good seasons from him and Rice is now, along with Man City's Rodri, the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League. Had Pellegrini worked out, or West Ham managed to make the top four rather than sixth or seventh, we just might have got him to sign a new contract. But in a short career he was always going to want to play in the Champions League and was too good to be in a side that was struggling against relegation for much of last season.
What's more, Declan seems to have been very well mentored by Mark Noble and comes across as a proper and humble human being - witness the video of him comforting the starstruck kid who bursts into tears upon meeting him.
So it's no more years, Declan Rice. It's going to be horrible watching Declan in a red and white shirt next season. But I guess we'll always have Prague.
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