Kurt Zouma claims Declan Rice West Ham exit ‘didn’t affect’ club
Kurt Zouma claims that Declan Rice’s West Ham exit this summer “didn’t affect” the side as they knew of his departure.
As reported by BBC Sport (3 October), the Hammers captain praised the now-Arsenal midfielder for his quality performances for West Ham, but now considers him an “opponent”.
The Gunners and the Hammers drew each other in the League Cup Round of 16, the first time he will be returning to his former side.
Zouma said: “We lost a top player, an important player, in Declan. But I think the replacements that we made have been very clever.
“That didn’t affect us, to be fair, we knew he was going to go. He’s played some unbelievable games here, he’ll always be remembered here, but he’s an opponent now.
“The players that came in have bought into the project at West Ham, they’ve bought into the tactics, they’ve settled quickly as well. So we are pleased to have those guys and they’ve helped us make a really strong start to the season.”
No love lost
It would be unlikely that any Hammers squad member would be frustrated at Rice for his summer departure, but on the pitch, they probably won’t be friends.
Returning to your former side, especially the side that you led as captain to a European Cup, can be an emotional affair. Rice has always been clear and honest about his love for the club, but for the 90 minutes that he’s in an Arsenal shirt against the Hammers, fans may forget that.
Rice will have to face his former side at least three times this season, with the 24-year-old set to return to the London Stadium on 1 November in the League Cup clash.
Zouma claimed that the club was not affected by his departure as they already were sure that he would leave, but did also praise the Hammers’ new summer additions which have all more than filled the void left by Rice, especially James Ward-Prowse who has the second most goal contributions in the side.
As the new Hammers captain, Zouma is certainly taking to the role well, but he has big boots to fill this season.
In other West Ham news, John McGinn reveals his Hammers inspiration in Aston Villa’s 6-1 win against Brighton.