West Ham pair Declan Rice and David Moyes beat world champions to awards
Declan Rice says he wouldn’t be at West Ham if it wasn’t for manager David Moyes, after the pair were winners at the London Football Awards.
The Hammers captain was named Premier League Player of the Year while the boss picked up the Manager of the Year award for the second year running, both pipping candidates from European and world champions Chelsea.
The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from the London Stadium but paid tribute to the Scotsman in charge as the reason he is still an Iron.
The England star said of the Hammers manager, via The Sun: “The first spell I was very young and was learning my trade and playing centre-half.
“Then, it was funny because when he came back for the second spell he came over and said to me ‘you’ve got better, haven’t you?!’.
“I looked at him and started laughing and from that moment on we’ve had such a good relationship.
“The confidence he puts into me is massive and means I can go out and perform when a manager believes in me like that.”
“It’s good to be regarded in that way. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the manager.”
How much longer?
In just over two years the former Sunderland boss has worked wonders in East London, and his star man’s development is arguably his crowning achievement.
Under his management the number 41 has flourished since into one of the finest central operators in the country.
That has understandably lead to transfer interest from the club’s West London rivals and both sides of Manchester.
And for all Moyes has clearly played a key role in the Hammers getting the best out of their international star, he may have played a role in ushering him out the door as well.
As much as the massive uncertainty that the Stamford Bridge club have been thrown into with the news that owner Roman Abramovich is looking to sell, a summer move for Rice is still a distinct possibility.
The failure to strengthen in the January transfer window, which was yesterday decried by the likes of Danny Murphy, Ally McCoist and Gabby Agbonlahor on talkSPORT following the FA Cup defeat to Southampton, sent a terrible message.
The stand-in Irons skipper has told Gary Neville’s The Overlap he wants to “win it all”, and passing up the opportunity to consolidate the club’s place in the Champions League places in the New Year made that far more unlikely, so Rice is thought to be minded to leave as a result (Telegraph).
In other West Ham news, the changes at Chelsea could be a major boost for the club over Rice, or an unexpected headache.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook for 24/7 updates on the Hammers plus more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.