David Moyes has made a bold claim regarding Declan Rice ahead of West Ham’s trip to the Emirates tonight.

It always felt like a matter of when Declan Rice was going to leave West Ham rather than if he would. He finally got his big move in the Summer when he controversially joined London rivals Arsenal. However, while there are a number of fans who can not forgive Rice for moving to the Gunners, the large majority of the East London faithful have been able to move past it and are appreciative of what he has done for their club. 

Obviously, there is no doubt that Rice was phenomenal for the Irons. In a side that was battling relegation last season, he still managed to be absolutely world-class game after game. 

Understandably, there were concerns about how West Ham would fare this season after losing their star man – the answer is very well. In fact, they have done so well that many believe that the Hammers are now stronger without the midfielder, and one of those people is David Moyes.

The Hammers gaffer knew that it would be a tricky task replacing their captain, but he believes the club recruited excellently. “From our standpoint, we had to go again and it can make you stronger and make you grow,” he confirmed ahead of his side’s clash with Arsenal. “In many ways, that’s what we’ve done. We’ve had to go out and find new players, who we thought could help us, and I think we’ve done it well.”

Unsurprisingly though, the Scotsman wanted to make it clear that this was not a dig at the England international, but rather it was him acknowledging the fact that the deal worked out well for everyone in the end. “We’re all pleased for Declan Rice. No one ever doubted his ability and, while we won’t be cheering him on against us on Thursday evening, we’re always looking out for him.”

“I said right from the start that I thought Declan Rice was a top player,” Moyes continued, “and I thought his value could have been greater. We got the price we wanted though, and Dec got the move he wanted, so it was a move that worked for both parties.”

“I think Declan would make any team more mature and improve any team in the Premier League so I think their current levels are partially to do with him right now.”

The build up to the game was always going to focus heavily on Rice but, as our Irons demonstrated in the Carabao Cup, West Ham have never been a one man team. His departure may have started a new chapter in his career, but the finances we gained allowed us to start a new era in the East End.