At just 19-years-of-age, I’m not sure that it is a good thing for young Declan Rice to be the subject of so many column inches.
The youngster, who is quite capable of slotting into the centre of the Hammers defence or playing as a holding midfielder, has found himself wrapped up in discussions relating to whether he should play for the Republic of Ireland or England plus, more importantly, the renewal of his West Ham contract.
Now, to be brutally honest, the international saga doesn’t really bother me, in fact, if Declan decides to switch allegiances and play for England as opposed to the Republic of Ireland, for whom he’s already appeared for in non-competitive games, that is his decision.
But, what does bother me is his future in a claret and blue shirt, it would be criminal if the negotiations were to fail to come to a natural conclusion and the youngster was allowed to leave.
The latest on what appears to be an ongoing situation comes from the news source, football london, which is suggesting that Declan has been offered an improved deal said to be worth £21,000 a week.
Now, to us, that seems a pretty decent salary for a teenager, but then again when you look at what some of our current squad earn, you could still dismiss it as insufficient.
It remains to be seen whether the terms of the new offer are enough to persuade Declan that the club wants him to stay on a long-term basis.
Here at Vital West Ham, we can only cross our fingers and sit and wait.
COYI’s
