West Ham fans to have mixed emotions at what's been said about Declan Rice

West Ham United fans have fond memories of Declan Rice, despite his move to Arsenal.

Graduating from the academy in East London, Rice continued to shift through the gears at the London Stadium.

Winning the UEFA Conference League in his final match for the Hammers, he would depart as a cult hero in the summer of 2023.

Always destined for bigger things, Rice would make the switch to Arsenal that summer, before he finally lifted the Premier League last month.

A talisman for club and country, he is now a star of the nation, leaving Irons fans with mixed feelings as they wonder just what could have been.

And after Geoff Hurst's latest claim, these feelings will be exacerbated once again.

Declan Rice tipped for huge England role

Since declaring for England in 2019, the midfielder has continued to grow in importance for the national team.

Now, he is one of the first names on the teamsheet, with former West Ham legend Hurst tipping him as a potential future captain.

"Because I am a West Ham fan, I think Declan Rice," he told Mail Sport, when asked on the captain's role.

"I have watched him grow up at West Ham and then moving on to Arsenal. Absolutely the right attitude," he added.

"You look at him play for England at for West Ham as I saw him quite regularly, and now for Arsenal, you have characters like that in the middle of the park who are leaders."

Going one step further, Hurst would even compare Rice to one huge Hammers icon.

"A bit like Bobby Moore was in 66 in our time," he said on the leadership traits.

"I think he's capable, probably it will be a surprise if he is not the next England captain."

Mixed emotions at London Stadium as Declan Rice hits new stratosphere

For an academy graduate to hit the heights he has, there will always be obvious pride among the West Ham fans.

The only thing is, he is hitting the prime years of his career at a fellow London club - something that has resulted in the boos each time he has returned to the London Stadium.

The frustrating fact is that since then, the trajectories of Rice and the Irons could not have differed more.

At the time of his move, the East London club had triumphed in Europe, while hopes were there of further progression.

Now, they are a Championship club, having to watch on as one of their own has developed into one of the world's very best, who could one day be captaining his country.

Let's be honest, though, he's nowhere near Moore yet.