Featured Image Credit: Sky Sports
Topics: Declan Rice, West Ham United, Arsenal
Josh Lawless
Declan Rice produced a stunning strike on his return to West Ham, providing the perfect response to being booed.
The England international left for Arsenal in a £105 million summer transfer after captaining West Ham to the Conference League in June.
But he was loudly jeered by the supporters who used to adore him at the London Stadium.
However, Rice registered two assists in the first half as Arsenal ran riot and went in 4-0 up half-time.
A mass exodus ensued inside the ground but those who did stay saw two further Arsenal strikes, including the goal of the game from Rice.
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He picked up the ball outside the box and curled an outrageous effort past Alphonse Areola, before refusing to celebrate.
The worldie was applauded by one home fan in the stands, though another supporter was seen performing an obscene gesture.
Piers Morgan was critical of the reception Rice received, branding West Ham fans "classless".
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He wrote: "So classless of West Ham fans to incessantly boo Declan Rice after all he did for their club."
Rice has been in fine form for Arsenal but he could have been lining up for Chelsea, who were in for him a couple of years back.
Speaking on William Hill and Footy Accumulators' No Tippy Tappy Football, former coach Jody Morris said: "I messaged Declan Rice when I was at Chelsea, and I asked him whether he'd come back, even after being released by the club.
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"He was a centre-half back then and there were a lot of people who said he shouldn't have been released when he was, but in hindsight, it was probably the best thing for him considering all the amazing things he went on do at West Ham.
"I was always on Frank Lampard's case saying how unbelievable Rice would be for us when N'Golo Kante kept getting injured and he wasn't sure at first, but a month later he was all over him! So, we reached out to Declan on whether he'd want to come back and he said: 'I'm a Chelsea fan, of course I would!'
"And from then on Lampard was speaking to him and the upstairs members at the club were talking to his parents. In the end, it got put on the backburner in favour of a couple of other signings."