Final on menu with tasty Rice
MOYES BACKS DEC TO DRIVE HAMMERS TO EUROPA GLORY
DAVID MOYES wants Euro 2020 finalist Declan Rice to lead West Ham into the Europa League final.
The Hammers head into their semi-final second-leg showdown with Eintracht Frankfurt needing to wipe out the Germans’ single-goal advantage if they want to get to within one game of the Champions League.
Rice, 23, was part of the England team beaten on penalties by Italy at Wembley last July.
Moyes believes his leadership will be vital in the bearpit of the Deutsche Bank Park stadium.
The Irons boss (above) said: “I tell Declan every day to drive them on in training. He plays with the best players for England and has to bring that back and bring it to the other boys.
“The manager gets found out if it happens or not, but sometimes the players have to roll their sleeves up, too.
“We mustn’t put too much on the young boy’s shoulders, but he’s such a quality player. I challenge him a lot. We need to get a whole team performance. We need Dec to drive us on, but play with a steady head.”
West Ham are winless in their last four and have been beaten in their last three in all competitions.
But they are helped by the fact that Frankfurt have managed to win just one of their last 10 matches at home.
The Irons also came from behind to beat six-time winners Sevilla in the knockout stages and pulled off a shock 3-0 win at Lyon after being held 1-1 at the London Stadium.
Moyes wants to reach next month’s final to give his 86-year-old dad David a memory to treasure.
He said: “My dad’s coming tomorrow – and I hope my son takes me to matches when I’m 86.
My brother Kenny’s bringing him and it’s great he can see us at this stage. I hope we give him a night to remember.”
Moyes believes Champions League football for the Hammers would be transformative for the club. But he also feels perception of the Irons has changed already after his 18 months in charge.
“Champions League football would be huge,” he said. “The climb has probably been a bit fast. But the
biggest thing is the mentality change in the players.
“It’s a new West Ham now – and I don’t want to go back. I don’t think anyone wants to go back.
“We’ve had Sir Trevor Brooking and the players in the past, who are still talked about. But I’m hoping a new generation of supporters will talk about Bowen, Rice and the young players who are the future.
“Hopefully, those supporters will be in Sevilla in a couple of weeks’ time.”