Declan Rice admits he has NO IDEA where his future lies as it’s up to the ‘people above’… but insists he will continue to give ‘everything’ for West Ham as he basks in their Europa Conference League triumph
Declan Rice stood in the concrete bowels of Prague’s Fortuna Stadium where he followed Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds into West Ham legend and confessed he had no idea what came next for him.
He is well aware of the relentless stream of transfer gossip based upon what seems to be an open secret, that he will leave the Hammers this summer, sold for a huge fee to fulfil his Champions League ambitions with Arsenal and Bayern Munich among those keen to acquire his services.
For one night more, however, the 24-year-old England midfielder was keen to bask in the honour of being West Ham’s captain, the first to lift a trophy for the club since Bonds in 1980 and the first to lift a European trophy since Moore in 1965. The first ever to lift one overseas.
‘It’s flattering to be wanted by a lot of clubs but the badge on my chest tonight is West Ham,’ said Rice as he emerged from the celebrations in the dressing room following a 2-1 victory over Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final.
‘I’ve got two years left on my contract and ultimately it’s up to the people above. Until the day I walk out of this club I’ll give absolutely everything and I’ll wear my heart on my sleeve for this badge.
Declan Rice captained West Ham to their first trophy in 43 years on Wednesday night
Rice has no idea whether the Europa Conference League final will be his last game for the club
He says it is up to the ‘people above’ whether he leaves (Rice pictured with West Ham co-owner David Sullivan)
‘The last two or three years it’s been non-stop about me. To read it myself is actually getting quite boring. I see it all the time, but I can’t help that, it comes with playing football every day and doing what I do.
‘I genuinely don’t know what’s happening at the minute, that’s my honest answer. I’ve completely blocked away from the whole situation because it would be totally wrong.
‘My focus tonight, and it has been since the World Cup, was to win this trophy and keep West Ham in the Premier League. We’ve done that so I’m going to enjoy tonight.’
West Ham celebrations would have gone long into the night. Players and staff partied with family members on the pitch for more than an hour after the trophy presentation and then for another hour in the dressing room.
Rice said West Ham’s triumph won’t ‘hit him for a while’ what they have accomplished
They planned to spend the night in Prague before returning to London on Thursday for an open-top bus parade in East London, starting at the site of the old Upton Park stadium.
‘To win this for this club, I don’t think it’s going to hit me for a while what we’ve done tonight as a group, it’s so special,’ said Rice. ‘I’m lost for words. When I started at West Ham 10 years ago I never thought I’d be captain of the club. To go on and lift this, it’s another level.’
An estimated 20,000 Hammers fans made the trip to the Czech capital despite only about a quarter of them having tickets for the final at a venue with a capacity of less than 20,000.
Rice added: ‘The fans that are here tonight plus another 15,000, you’ve got our staff behind the scenes that work so hard, chefs, player liaisons, analysts that give it everything, like they do at other clubs. To do it for them as well and to see them have a good night is what makes me happy.’
