Frank McAvennie: West Ham and Declan Rice won’t go down the Tottenham-Harry Kane route
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie is adamant that West Ham and Declan Rice will avoid a sideshow similar to that of Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane this summer.
England captain Kane has been marooned in the centre of a news storm following the conclusion of the European Championship where he led his nation to runners-up.
In the last few weeks speculation has swirled around his future with Manchester City widely reported to be in the running for his signature. It was reported by Sky Sports last week that the 27-year-old had failed to turn up to training, with suggestions that he was trying to engineer an exit from Spurs.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, ex-Irons forward McAvennie is confident Kane’s international teammate Rice would not go down that route in east London.
“No, I wouldn’t like to think so,” he said.
“Declan is only young, he will get plenty of game time at West Ham and then he will get his move.
“I don’t think West Ham will stop him going to big clubs. I really don’t think he will do that [skip training and force an exit].”
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It’s an entirely different set of circumstances for Rice at West Ham.
Firstly, at 22-years-old, Rice still has plenty of years to achieve his ambitions elsewhere if the Irons cannot provide them. He has been a mainstay in the side for a few years now, whereas Kane was a late bloomer at Spurs.
Secondly, as a club, we know where we are. We’ve been fighting against relegation in recent years while advancing to a Champions League final in 2019 has probably masked what is really going on at Spurs, and they are nowhere near the level of Manchester City, and thus someone of Kane’s calibre is always likely to want to leave.
Fans won’t like it if and when Rice leaves, but his exit would be begrudgingly accepted next year if there is no more progress made at the London Stadium.
He’s a top-class player and deserves to be playing European football year in, year out.
In other West Ham news, Roshane Thomas has delivered an update on this Euros star after a Friday report of an Irons bid.
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