Declan Rice has tendered an emotional farewell to West Ham and its fans after his £105 million deal with Arsenal was finalized on Friday.
Rice, who spent a remarkable 10 years with the Hammers (since age 14), expressed his heartfelt gratitude in a statement posted on the official West Ham website.
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“My days staying at the Academy club house in Romford bring back some of the happiest memories of my life,” he said.
“Sharing digs with lads on the same journey at that age was such a positive influence on my development.”
He also emphasized the positive impact the environment had on him as an individual both on and off the field: “The environment at Chadwell Heath is something truly special,” he continued.
“As many have said, the Academy at West Ham doesn’t just make good players, it also makes good people.
“I look back now and realise how crucial my time at Chadwell Heath was in shaping me, as a footballer and as a man.
“As someone who had some setbacks early on in my football career, it could have easily gone another way, but I found the perfect place to build my confidence, enabling my focus, determination and ambition to flourish.”
“To have followed Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, becoming only the third captain in the Club’s history to lift a major trophy, is something that means so much to me,” he said.
“It was the culmination of a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment – not only from the players, but from everyone connected to the club.
“I was genuinely lost for words when the final whistle blew. It was such an emotional release, having built up over so many years.”
The England international thanking further thanked the “loyal, passionate, and devoted” Hammers fans: “You have taken me into your hearts as one of your own from day one.
“Even when it was just a handful of fans at the Under-18 or Under-23 games, I felt that love, and it has just grown stronger as the years have passed.
“Playing in front of you has been an honour, we have had such great times together, and you all mean so much to me.”
Explaining his departure as part of an ambition to play at “the very highest level,” Rice also admitted it will be a strange experience to line up against his former teammates next season: “Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience.
“I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new Club.
“I will always give 100% every single time I pull on the shirt – because that is how I have been brought up at West Ham, and I’m sure you wouldn’t expect anything else.
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“However, that does not mean my love and respect for you all has been diminished in any way. This Club and its supporters will always be in my heart, and forever a part of who I am.”
While he embarks on a new chapter in his career at Arsenal, Rice’s love and respect for West Ham will always remain unwavering.
