DECLARATION OF INTENT
After his World Cup and Euro agony with England, Rice has set his heart on lifting Hammers’ first trophy for 43 years
DECLAN RICE has his “heart set” on leading West Ham to European triumph after the agony of missing out on Euros and World Cup glory.
Skipper Rice learned the hard way the fine margins in finals as England lost Euro 2020 at Wembley to Italy on penalties two years ago.
But the midfield star has no intention of letting the Europa Conference League final end up in Italian hands, too, when the Hammers face Fiorentina in
Prague tomorrow week. And it would also help ease the pain of a World Cup semi-final defeat by France in Qatar last winter.
Rice admits he has dreamed about lifting the trophy and said: “Yeah, all of us have thought about it.
“The journey we have been on, now we are one game away from lifting something for West Ham. It will go down in history.
“But I don’t think about those things too much because I’ve been in finals before and lost.
“The differences between the highs and lows of the game are really minimal, but I think we are all dreaming and all the fans are dreaming. We have a right to, but it is down to us to get it done. We have the squad who have played in big games and have some big winners in our team. We will be ready for anything.
“It is the last game of the season and we need to empty the tank and give absolutely everything for the club, each other and the fans.” West Ham’s last major trophy was in 1980, when they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the FA Cup final (top), and it is 58 years since Bobby Moore lifted their only major European trophy – the Cup Winners’ Cup – at Wembley in 1965 (circled above).
It is a drought the £100million-rated star aims to end despite ongoing uncertainty over his future.
Rice, 24, is under contract at the London Stadium for just one more season with Bayern Munich and Arsenal both very keen to sign him. But Rice insisted: “I have not really focused on any of that.
“My main focus has been getting us out of the relegation battle and winning this trophy, my heart is set on that.
“Everything else is just noise and speculation. I can’t help that, it comes with playing. Doing it for the club, my family and the fans – I will do everything I can.”
Rice, who has 41 caps, again impressed on the final day of the Premier League season in his 61st appearance for club and country this term.
David Moyes’ men lost 2-1 at Leicester but finished 14th and Rice insists he and his team-mates are in decent shape for Prague. He added: “It was about getting in good condition for Fiorentina and I am ready for anything, whether we go 90 minutes or 120.
“It has been a long season with the World Cup, but the way I have kept myself off the pitch has been key to being able to play so many games.”