Declan Rice sends strong message to West Ham after 2-1 loss v Frankfurt

Declan Rice has shared a strong message on Twitter after West Ham suffered a 2-1 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt.

The Hammers will have to produce a strong result to secure a passage to the final after losing the first leg of the semi-final tie at home on Thursday.

Rice has praised the Hammers fans for their “incredible” support, saying the team will give everything to progress in the return leg.

The England midfielder wrote on Twitter: “All to play for in Germany, We will give it everything to progress. Thank you for the incredible support tonight.”

Big second leg

The return leg is massive for the Hammers in the bigger context.

After the away goal rule has been scrapped, it is just another fresh match and it’s anybody’s game.

The Hammers won away from home against Lyon in the quarter-finals, and there’s no reason why they cannot repeat a similar heroic performance against Frankfurt.

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Most importantly, this is West Ham’s best chance to qualify for the Champions League next season. If they get into the final and win it, the Hammers will be in a strong position in the summer to not only attract top players but to keep hold of their star players as well.

For example, Rice is been chased by top clubs in the Premier League, while the midfielder is yet to put pen to paper. He could be tempted to sign a new deal in the summer if the Hammers manage to secure Champions League football next season.

In other West Ham news, a BBC pundit has slammed Moyes’ harsh criticism of one key West Ham man.

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