Declan Rice brings ‘joy’ to West Ham fans after final whistle of narrow FA Cup escape
Declan Rice followed up his West Ham goal on Saturday by stopping for photos and autographs for every fan that asked afterwards, says Tom Clark.
The England midfielder broke Kidderminster hearts when he scored an injury-time equaliser and took the FA Cup tie to extra-time, where Jarrod Bowen secured a 2-1 win in added time of the additional period.
And the star man made fans’ days in more ways than one with his actions following the final whistle.
Football London‘s West Ham correspondent wrote on his personal Twitter account after the match: “Just seen it take Declan Rice five minutes to walk about 50 meters as he stopped for every single person who asked for a picture or an autograph and he had a smile for them all.
“The joy on the kids (and some adults faces) was lovely to see. Clearly a top guy”.
Man in demand
In contrast to many media trained players, and jaded members of the general public, the Hammers’ number 41 genuinely seems to enjoying himself most of the time.
And his actions on Saturday show why fans are so concerned about the prospect of him leaving the London Stadium.
The Telegraph reported recently that the lack of transfer business at the club during January has pushed him towards a summer exit.
If he does leave, a fee of over £100million has been mooted, with Manchester United and Manchester City known to be interested.
But following his interview with Gary Neville’s The Overlap the belief is that the former Chelsea academy player would prefer a return to Stamford Bridge.
While the Irons would no doubt be hugely compensated financially if Rice moves on, it is unlikely to make fans feel any better.
The connection many of them feel with the stand-in skipper is more than that of just a key player, as they appreciate the genuine personality of the man.
In other West Ham news, the club are concerned over a big potential injury blow following the FA Cup tie.