He’s only been gone a few months but already West Ham stars are firing digs at former captain, Declan Rice.
Now at Arsenal, Rice will forever be associated with the Hammers run to the Europa Conference League title, lifting the trophy in Prague to the delight of the thousands of east Londoners that had travelled in the hope of seeing a first major title in 43 years.
Billy Bonds was the last West Ham captain to lift a trophy before Rice, back in 1980 when a then Second Division Hammers team toppled the Gunners at Wembley. It remains the last time any team outside of the top-flight won the FA Cup.
Rice, for all of his exploits with West Ham, already seems to be a persona non-grata so far as some players are concerned.
“We’ve got four new players too and you can see the quality they bring to the squad,” Emerson Palmieri said to the official West Ham website.
“Because of them, I think we are stronger now than we were last season. We’ve played six or seven games in the Premier League now and you can see the quality we’re showing in the way we play.”
Whilst Rice isn’t name directly, the four players were only able to be brought in because of his sale to the Gunners so the inference won’t be lost on him.
Given that the two London sides have recently been paired in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Rice has an immediate chance to come back and haunt his old employers.
It will be a real test for David Moyes and his squad and if it’s one they pass, perhaps Emerson’s words will be seen as somewhat prophetic.