Declan Rice’s actions prior to his first Premier League match with Arsenal have infuriated a lot of West Ham United supporters.
Declan Rice, West Ham, and Arsenal entered a new chapter on Saturday.
The start of what Mikel Arteta feels will be a better title fight against Man City with him in the team for the Gunners marked the beginning of life beyond Dec for the Hammers.
The £105 million sale of ex-West Ham captain Rice to Arsenal last month set a British record, but Chelsea’s $115 million acquisition of Moises Caicedo already appears to be in line to break it.
There is no getting around the fact that Rice’s transfer to Arsenal has alienated West Ham fans.
The greatest treasure of West Ham has been stolen by Arsenal fans with great joy. Even though West Ham and Arsenal have never had a particularly intense rivalry, the decision has deeply hurt many Hammers supporters.
Declan Rice infuriates a lot of West Ham supporters with what he did before the Arsenal game.
Rice epitomized everything West Ham fans loved about their squad. They also used to enjoy it greatly when cameras caught him sprinting onto the pitch while singing along to bubbles.
Rice was missed as West Ham surrendered a 1-0 lead to draw 1-1 at Bournemouth in the season opener. And the midfielder helped his new side hold on to beat Nottingham Forest 2-1 at the Emirates.
Some of Rice’s comments since joining Arsenal have irritated Hammers supporters. Obviously, there is an element of a new player having to lay on the charm for his new fanbase which is to be expected.
But comments about the training, the standards, the stadium, his new manager, and his new teammates have rankled. As have his declarations: “I’m a Gunner now” and about seeing football ‘in a completely different way’ since moving to the Gunners.
Now Rice has angered many West Ham fans with what he was seen doing before the Arsenal match.
In a pre-match huddle – where many have stated they feel Rice was clearly aware the camera was trained on him – the ex-Hammer was seen singing – or at least mouthing – along to the club’s new anthem ‘North London Forever’.
I’m always blowing bubbles in North London.
It makes sense that Arsenal supporters have enjoyed it so much. And many others didn’t waste any time posting it on social media as proof that he is now a “genuine Arsenal.”
Given that he was singing along to bubbles and saying the Hammers had the best fans in the world just a few weeks prior, many West Ham supporters took it personally and felt rather let down.
Take a look at it in the post below and decide for yourself.
Most West Ham fans supported Rice when he expressed a desire to play in the Champions League and possibly for a more progressive side and manager.
However, it’s possible that not everyone expected to see the £105 million man publicly express his love for his new team so soon.
But West Ham supporters cannot afford to follow his every step and deed like resentful, abandoned ex-lovers.
And signing some interesting new players on our own will undoubtedly aid in that.
Rice is the kind of person that gives whatever he does in life his all. Therefore, West Ham supporters shouldn’t take this personally or perceive it as a betrayal, as so many do.
With the Rice case, there is a middle ground to be sought. We owe West Ham a debt of gratitude for the time we spent there together. However, he has ultimately moved on, and we also must.