With the search for players to fill a new look backline and the future of Chelsea’s attack also being less than clear, it has been easy to disregard the midfield heading into the new season. Rice, who is now the captain of the Hammers, has admitted that speculation over his future frustrates him as Chelsea continue to probe away with a deal.
Declan Rice said: “It is annoying because of the numbers that get attached to your name, you can’t control that at all. There’s stuff sometimes that you read and you see that you don’t want to hear because it’s not true in a way. I can’t control that, all I can do is go on the pitch and play football and be happy. For the last couple of seasons that’s what I’ve done and that’s the faith the manager has put in me.”
Additionally, Tuchel has previously admitted that he rates Rice “very highly,”
Thomas Tuchel said: “He seems to be a very nice guy from what everybody tells me and is from the Chelsea academy and he proves this [his quality]. That’s the most important thing. It feels like he plays every single game. He is available, is captain, plays with a lot of responsibility, is a physical player, very strategic-minded player, a key player for his team, and is strong at set-pieces. This is not a surprise. Everybody sees this. He is a huge part of the success of West Ham and it is impressive.”
