Some fans may be divided on him since his defection to Arsenal but Declan Rice clearly still has a real affection for West Ham.
For some West Ham fans Declan Rice’s decision to push for a move to Arsenal over Man City in the summer cut deep.
Many Hammers supporters were – and indeed remain – angry with him.
But besides some pantomime banter, the level of respect among the majority has been clear when Rice has faced West Ham with the Gunners this season.
The £105m move has created a rivalry of sorts between two clubs who have never really shared one.
Unlike certain former West Ham academy graduates who have moved on to Premier League rivals, Rice has carried himself with great class and dignity since departing the London Stadium for The Emirates.
Rice has showed West Ham respect since departure
On several occasions he has publicly stated he will always love West Ham and the fans.
He refused to celebrate when he scored that goal in that 6-0 win over his former team recently.
And he even admitted the goal was extremely bittersweet for him after the game.
A goal Rice certainly did enjoy, though, was one of several special strikes in West Ham’s recent 5-0 Europa League win over Freiburg.
Rice is sitting pretty at the top of the league with Arsenal. And he has helped the Gunners into the quarter-finals of the Champions League where they will face Bayern Munich.
The likes of Frank Lampard in the past said they didn’t care about West Ham’s results after they left and that they never watched them play.
But Rice tuned in to watch West Ham’s win over Freiburg – which has set up a tough quarter-final against Bundesliga champions elect Bayer Leverkusen.
Cresswell reveals what Rice sent him after ‘special’ goal
His old Hammers teammate Aaron Cresswell scored with a beautiful strike in that game to make it 3-0.
The match also featured lovely goals from Mohammed Kudus too.
Now Cresswell has shared the message Arsenal’s Rice sent him after his ‘special’ goal for West Ham recently.
“It was another special (moment), it was amazing because we were 2-0 up and that goal kind of took the pressure off type of thing,” Cresswell said on The Iron Cast.
“To score in any European competition is amazing and I remember it coming to me on the edge of the box and I’m thinking ‘I’m gonna hit this’ but it kind of like sat up and I’m thinking if I hit it (first time) it’s going to go wide.
“I’m thinking ‘Should I have took this (touch)’ and then everything just opened up in slow motion type of thing and I had so much time and I managed to pick the bottom corner and run off with a great smile!
‘You need to calm down’
“I remember Dec sent me a voice note after it saying: ‘Mate what are you doing giving it a knee slide, you’re nearly 40, you need to calm down!’
“I was just so happy to score!”
Class that from Rice and shows he does still care about his old club and teammates.
He left West Ham to play Champions League football and will have that two years in a row.
West Ham were able to sign some top players with the money.
Now let’s dream they can help the Hammers join Rice at Europe’s top table by lifting the Europa League this season.