West Ham‘s inspirational talisman Declan Rice has admitted that he has allowed himself to consider the possibility of playing Champions League football next season.
The Hammers went fourth after their London derby success over Tottenham on Sunday and Rice, who has been ever-present in the Premier League this term, told talkSPORT Breakfast (Monday 9:45am) that he has European ambitions.
He said: “I’d be wrong to sit here and say that’s not something I’m thinking about [Champions League]. I want to be in the places, it’s where this club deserves to be, it’s a massive club and we’ve got the quality, that’s where we need to be using. The next four games will define that.”
West Ham manager David Moyes has been more reserved over his team’s top four chances, suggesting that the quality of the teams vying for a Champions League spot could prove too strong.
Rice has been phenomenal at the heart of Moyes’ midfield and he highlighted the togetherness of the squad, epitomised by their latest whole-hearted display. Alongside Tomas Soucek, the England ace has carried the fight for the Irons and, between the pair, they have barely missed a single minute of this wonderful league campaign.
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As each game goes by and the Hammers edge closer towards finishing he season in a European spot, it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to dream.
However, Rice is right to pinpoint the upcoming futures as potentially season-defining, with a tricky schedule which could ultimately make or break their Champions League qualification hopes at least.
Regardless of where West Ham end up this season, there has been an exponential improvement on last term and the signs are promising for what this group can achieve.
