A graphic depicting an oil painting of West Ham midfielder Declan Rice alongside Hammers alumni Dimitri Payet and Paolo di Canio, which was shared by the club on Twitter, has produced debate in the comments, despite the original intention being to pump up Irons fans for the FA Cup clash with Manchester United tonight.
🔙 in #FACup action!
COME ON YOU IRONSSS! ⚒#MUNWHU pic.twitter.com/q7dWzhWS9W
— West Ham United (@WestHam) February 9, 2021
Placing Rice in the same bracket as Di Canio and Payet proved to be unusually controversial among some supporters.
Now 33 years old and playing for Marseille in France, former France international Payet enjoys a status as a cult hero in east London. The creative maestro scored 15 goals and racked up a further 23 assists in just 60 appearances since his 2015 move from Marseille to the Hammers, before returning to his former club just two seasons later.
At just 21, Rice is firmly at the opposite end of his career as Payet’s junior by 12 years – causing some fans to question whether the England international has yet achieved enough in his Hammers career to justify being depicted alongside such resonant club heroes.
However, the youngster has already made 134 first team appearances for West Ham – more than twice as many as Payet – and has captained the side for the bulk of this season. For that reason, some offered the view that he is “miles ahead” of the Frenchman in the debate about Irons hero status.
Indeed, Rice’s depicted gallery portrait was the gilt-edged magnum opus of the fictional West Ham gallery. Firmly centred, it was the obvious main attraction to the graphic.
Some fans took to Twitter to call into question the stylistic choices, with a flavour of the reaction featured below:
https://twitter.com/GeorgeScales20/status/1359067709636546562
Twitter: @WestHam Take the Payet one down and replace it with this…
https://t.co/e2HyBuVnJb (@NathanPatrick84)
Twitter: @WestHam God I miss Dimi (@whuchr)
Twitter: @Olisinho_______ @WestHam Rice is miles ahead of Payet in terms of what he does for the club
(@TomPezza13)
Twitter: @TomPezza13 @Olisinho_______ @WestHam Payet only played 48 games. One good season, hardly a legend. (@KevinLo65913574)
Twitter: @WestHam Fixed it for you.
#MUNWHU
#COYI
#WHUFC
#WestHam
#WestHamUnited https://t.co/hvH8ZH8DPe (@DavidMason800)
