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WHZ View: Rice goal for England highlights West Ham international flaw
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice scored a landmark goal when he opened the scoring for England in their 4-0 win over Iceland on Wednesday.
Not only was it Rice’s first senior England goal which in itself is a remarkable achievement for the young midfielder.
But Rice also became the first West Ham player to score for England since Matthew Upson headed home for the Three Lions against Germany at the 2010 World Cup.
This stat may have come as a shock to some Hammers fans as their club used to be one of the main providers of talent to the England set up.
After all, when England won the World Cup in 1966 much of the success was credited to West Ham players Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters.
It seems odd that it has been over a decade since a representative of the Hammers notched for the Three Lions on the international stage.
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We believe this is something that needs to change and the club need to start investing in English talent.
That’s not to say West Ham haven’t had good English players over the past decade, it’s just that the English players the Hammers have signed haven’t been good enough to play for England.
Jack Wilshere and Andy Carroll are two prime examples of players who were never going to get into the England squad yet were deemed good enough for West Ham.
Neither were ever brilliant for the Hammers as it is beginning to seem like the London Stadium is becoming a home for England’s rejects.
Mark Noble has never received senior cap while Aaron Cresswell hasn’t appeared for England since 2017.
The Hammers will always try and do things the ‘West Ham way’ but that philosophy includes the development of young English talent.
There are some bright sparks in the academy at the moment who could very well become England players in the future, Conor Coventry is a good example. But more needs to be done to bring quality English players back to the London Stadium.
West Ham were once one of the main producers of English talent and Declan Rice proves they are still capable of producing quality players but it needs to be done on a more regular basis.
In other West Ham news, Hammers fans have reacted on social media after Rice scored his first England goal.