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West Ham midfielder and 'future England captain' Declan Rice gave one of the best post-match interviews of the season following their dramatic Europa League win on Thursday night.
It was a night to remember for everyone associated with the club.
After being 1-0 down in the first leg against tournament favourites Sevilla, David Moyes' side managed to upset the odds and progress to the last-eight thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Andriy Yarmolenko.
Yarmolenko's winner in the 112th minute sparked emotional scenes at the London Stadium – and West Ham fan favourite Declan Rice gave an incredible insight into the Ukrainian's feelings post-match.
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In fact, Rice, who has been strongly linked with a move in recent transfer windows, produced one of the most refreshing post-match interviews in recent memory during a chat with BT Sport.
You can check out that clip below.
Rice said: “Yarmolenko was a little bit emotional away from the lads afterwards.
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"For what he’s been through to perform like this – his desire, the way he chased players and scored. He deserves this. He stepped up. I’m delighted for him.”
The 23-year-old midfielder believes West Ham can beat anyone after their victory against Sevilla.
“I said this after the FA Cup win against Leeds, I’ll take anyone and I think the lads will take anyone as well,” Rice said.
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“There’s no-one to fear. Sevilla were probably the favourites. When the draw came out, people thought we had the hardest draw and we were going to get knocked out… and we’ve knocked them out.
“So, look, we can go away anywhere and get a result and teams coming here know they’re in for a game when they step into this stadium with our fans, so I’m ready to take anyone.”
Joe Cole then said they fancy the Nou Camp as "we've heard they do some nice paella down there!”
Rice laughed before responding: “You’ve had some big nights there as well geez! Yeah it would be special to go there and face Barcelona.
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“Like I said, this is what this club deserves. We’ve worked hard for this, from a relegation battle when Moyes first came in to getting in Europe last year. Not having the biggest of squads this season, a lot of question marks over how far we’re going to go and what we’re going to do, yet we’re still up there in the Premier League and into the quarter-finals.
"There’s a big buzz around the place."
Plenty on social media were full of praise for Rice following his inspiring words after the full-time whistle.
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One Twitter user wrote: "This geezer is pure class. Everything he does on and off the pitch. He will go on to captain England without a doubt.
Another said: "People might not agree with the price tag on his head but what a player and leader he is. He’s got the leadership skills that any team in the league would take."
A West Ham supporter commented: "This guy is a once in a lifetime talent. The fact that he plays for our club is beyond incredible. He is one of the reasons we are massive. Give Noble whatever job he wants the guy has to stay within the club."
Thoughts on Rice's post-match chat? Is he a future England captain?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: BT SportTopics: Declan Rice, West Ham United, Premier League, Europa League, Sevilla
