It’s hard to believe, but at one point, Declan Rice wasn’t West Ham’s most talented player. He was another midfielder, now worth just £1.2m.
Rice has cemented his reputation as one of the best midfielders in world football since moving from western ham to Arsenal for a club record fee of £105m last summer.
He made 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring seven goals, as Arsenal once again finished runners-up to Manchester City in the first division.
Rice is expected to play a key role in England in Euro 2024 this summer, when Gareth Southgate’s side take on Serbia in their Group C opener on Sunday.
At just 25 years old, Rice has enjoyed an extraordinary journey from West Ham’s academy to the top of professional football.
Rice emerged from the Hammers’ youth team to become the club’s third captain to lift major titles, after Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds.
But it hasn’t always been an easy journey for the midfielder.
According to him AthleticReece Oxford was widely considered the standout talent in West Ham’s academy, having burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old with a starring role as West Ham beat Arsenal 2-0 in 2015.
Additionally, other prospects received their professional deals before Rice, and at the time there was growing concern among his camp that he was going to be released for a second time, having previously been released by Chelsea.
Former West Ham trainee Lewis Page, now of Gillingham, told The Athletic: “I remember having a conversation with him after dinner. “Dec wasn’t sure if he was going to get a scholarship with West Ham.
Reece Oxford playing for West Ham (Image: Getty)
“Chelsea released him and were worried it would happen again. “I was always sure he would get one, but at the time the club weren’t sure what Dec’s best position was.
“Reece was the main talent at centre-back and I’m not sure if the club thought Dec was good enough to play in midfield. You had Josh Cullen and Ben Marlow who were ahead of him. But West Ham took the opportunity and en Since then it has borne fruit.”
Rice is now the second most expensive British player in history, provided he performs well enough to cover his £5m add-ons, with only Jude Bellingham (£115m) costing more.
Meanwhile, Transfer market values Oxford at just £1.2m.
After failing to play following his remarkable debut against Arsenal, Oxford was loaned out to Reading, Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2019.
But he has battled injuries during his time at the German club and was reportedly affected by the long-term effects of COVID-19, undergoing medical treatment.
He did not make a single senior appearance in the 2023/24 campaign and it is unclear whether he will be able to continue his professional career.
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Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: western ham, Declan Rice, Arsenal, first division, Euro 2024, England