Rice: Hammers can handle Moyes rants
DECLAN RICE remembers receiving the hairdryer treatment from David Moyes during his first spell in charge at West Ham.
But the midfielder insists he passed the test – and is now relishing a more “old school” approach from the returning Hammers boss.
Moyes saw his second coming get off to a storming start on Wednesday as West Ham recorded their biggest league win for 12 years in a 4-0 romp over Bournemouth, with Rice catching the eye in the engine room.
Now Rice, 20, is preparing for the tough love the players can expect from Moyes as he bids to push an under-achieving squad away from the relegation zone.
Recalling an incident during a 4-1 loss to Arsenal in April 2018, Rice said: “He was on my case for a mistake at Arsenal when I ducked for the ball, missed a header and the ball went in.
“It was 1-1 at the time and I got out of the way of the ball, and afterwards he came for me in the changing room in front of the lads.
“I was only young then, but it was rightly deserved. If I am old enough to play in the team then I am old enough to take it.
“It was the hairdryer treatment! But I took it well and I think he wanted to see how I reacted to it.
“I did go on to play every game for the rest of the season because I took it on the chin, kept working hard, kept working on my heading and lucky enough that mistake didn’t happen again.
“I think that straight talking is what you need. That is what Moyes is like. He’s old school but I think that is what we
need.”