Declan Rice has publically hit back at the constant speculation surrounding his West Ham future.
The 23-year-old has regularly been linked with a mega-money move away from east London, with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool all reportedly interested in his signature.
West Ham and David Moyes have consistently denied that he is for sale, with it previously being reported that the Hammers wouldn’t even consider selling him for £150m.
But as he approaches his first season as the official captain of West Ham, following Mark Noble’s retirement last month, Rice has labelled the speculation as “annoying” and admits it’s “an honour” to be able to captain West Ham this season.
Speaking in an interview with Sky Sports, Rice said: “Everyone knows my relationship with the players here, the manager.
“I’ve never once complained, every time I put on the shirt I go out there and give it one hundred per cent and whatever happens off the pitch takes care of itself.
“It’s annoying because of the numbers that get attached to your name.
“I know that I’m going to be the captain of West Ham this season, I know it’s an honour.”
But Rice has insisted that all he concentrates on is representing West Ham and respecting not just the contract he currently has, but also the club that has helped him become one of the best box-to-box midfielders in the world.
“I’ve always said, until anything actually happens, there’s no point talking about anything because I’m a West Ham player, I have a contract with West Ham and I’ll always respect that,” he added.
Since his debut in May 2017, Rice has made almost 200 appearances for West Ham and has also earned 32 caps for England.
At just 23, he has captained a top-six Premier League outfit, played in a Europa League semi-final and represented his country in a European Championship final, so it is no surpise some of the biggest clubs in England have been eyeing up his services.
But it is comforting, albeit unsurprising given the man we all know he is, that Rice has his sights firmly on representing West Ham United and is somewhat unhappy with the constant speculation surrounding his future in east London.
While it is widely accepted that he won’t be a West Ham player forever, it is truly an honour to have such a world class talent wearing the famous claret and blue, let alone as the captain.
However, if David Moyes continues taking West Ham in the right direction and can eventually win silverware in the next season or two, perhaps the Hammers will be in a position to convince Rice to stay long-term.
