West Ham have endured a turbulent season, flirting with relegation, but a shining light in their campaign has been the rise of Declan Rice.
The 19-year-old has been thrusted into the first-team frame following a wrath of defensive injuries but he’s impressed with his performances, earning a debut for the Republic of Ireland and showing himself to be a figure to build the defence around.
Rice is set to earn a significant pay rise and a new contract this summer, whilst David Moyes has specifically taken time to praise the teenager in a recent column for the Evening Standard, where he wrote:
“I thought Declan Rice specifically, has shown much more maturity in his last two performances (Southampton & Chelsea). He has come back from winning his first senior international cap with the Republic of Ireland with a lot of confidence and self-belief.”
The young defender completed ninety minutes again in last night’s 1-1 draw with Stoke City, which extended the Hammers’ advantage over the relegation zone to seven points.
