Despite speculation, young West Ham midfielder Declan Rice has played down the rumours about a possible move to Manchester United during the upcoming summer transfer window.
According to reports on ESPN, Rice has been linked with United as part of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s ‘summer shake-up,’ after a disappointing end to the season for his squad, but a remarkable season for Rice.
However, Rice ensures he is focused on West Ham and staying in the starting 11, having signed a five-year contract mid-way through the season:
My focus is fully on playing for West Ham. I’ve got a great connection with the fans – I love them, they love me.
Despite being left out of multiple important games this season, Rice was confident in his ability to come back fighting for a permanent place in the West Ham squad, which is just what he did:
The manager said I would get another chance and I had to keep working, and that’s what I did. I got my head down and that opportunity came against Everton and I haven’t looked back since.
Which puts confidence in West Ham fans’ belief that Rice will be staying on for another season at least.
The passion and drive he showed worked out well for him. After coming back from missing out on a few games, Rice earned a call-up from Gareth Southgate as part of England’s first team squad.
Since then, Rice has been capped twice by England, and will hope to make it a third in the Nation League semi-final against the Netherlands on June 6 – in which Rice is very confident of the squad’s chances:
With the squad Gareth has put together, with the players that we have, for sure we’ve got to be looking at the Nations League and winning it.
