West Ham: David Moyes praises Declan Rice for his ‘great’ win and admits he had doubts after celebration
The delighted Moyes hailed West Ham’s “amazing” win over Leeds on Sunday but refused to draw any conclusions about Declan Rice’s future after the midfielder’s expected last home game.
Rice is set to be sold this summer, with Arsenal heavy favorites to sign and West Ham hoping to hit a British transfer fee in excess of £100m.
The 24-year-old marked the occasion six years after his debut by starting the Irons’ comeback with a 3-1 win from behind and being named the club’s Hammer of the Year before kick-off.
After the traditional post-game thanksgiving, Rice began a second solo round and applauded the home fans, but when asked if his captain had said goodbye in style, Moyes simply said, “Declan played very well today. He’s played well all season and scored a really good goal. He played well, he’s a very, very good footballer.”
Moyes paid tribute to his side after enduring a brief turnaround after Thursday night’s historic win at AZ Alkmaar, adding to Leeds’ relegation concerns.
The Scot made six changes to the eleven that started in the 1-0 win in the Netherlands that saw the Hammers reach their first major European final since 1976 and was rewarded with three points when goals from Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini responded to Rodrigo’s opening goal.
“It was great,” Moyes said. “After the week we’ve had, you can never be quite sure how players will fare after a Thursday game if they show up to play on a Sunday. For the first 15 minutes I thought, “I’m not so sure.”
“We showed great character and mentality because we got a great win there midweek. It was easier to play at home again than it would have been away, but in the end it was a great win. A hard fought but deserved decision.”
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/moyes-rice-west-ham-leeds-b1082637.html West Ham: David Moyes praises Declan Rice for his ‘great’ win and admits he had doubts after celebration
