RICE OUT TO EMULATE HAMMERS LEGENDS
DECLAN RICE says West Ham want to emulate their favourite sons by winning the Europa League as Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters were immortalised in bronze yesterday. Rice, Mark Noble and manager David Moyes had front-row seats as a sculpture marking the club’s 1965 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph was unveiled outside the London Stadium. West Ham director Karren Brady revealed in a speech that Peters had been laid to rest in the statue’s foundations. Turning to Rice, Noble and Moyes, Hurst added: ‘Win it like we did. Do it again boys. Do it again.’ Hurst was here for the unveiling along with Peters’ widow Kathy and Moore’s daughter Roberta, who said: ‘It’s so poignant. He’d be very touched and very humbled.’ West Ham host Rapid Vienna in the Europa League tonight. Moyes’ players will only need to take a walk to the London Stadium’s Champions Place to see the lifesize-and-a-quarter statue, should they need any extra motivation in creating their own European memories. Rice said: ‘The mentality around the place is that every competition we’re entering is one we can go on and win, for sure. ‘This is a new one that we’re involved in. We want to win that.’ This will be West Ham’s first home match in the main draw of a European competition since 2006. Rice scored in their opening group game of this season’s Europa League campaign — a comfortable 2-0 victory at Dinamo Zagreb. Asked about previously being criticised for being a ‘sideways passer’, Rice responded: ‘I see it and I want to prove that person wrong. It is important to get criticised as a player. You’re never going to be perfect and if you never get criticised, how are you going to learn? I feel like this season I have gone up to a new level in terms of progressing the ball forward.’ On being linked with Chelsea and Manchester United, Rice said he had never been happier at West Ham. ‘I feel you can see in my performances that nothing’s concerning me,’ added the 22-year-old, who captains the side when Noble does not start. ‘I’m playing with a smile on my face. I’m going out there, leading the team.’ WEST HAM (probable, 4-2-3-1): Fabianski; Coufal, Zouma, Ogbonna, Cresswell; Soucek, Rice; Bowen, Fornals, Benrahma; Antonio.