By Victor Kanayo
England international Declan Rice has completed his move to English Premier League side Arsenal from West ham ahead of the new football season.
This was disclosed on Saturday via Arsenal website.
Rice’s Rich Career
Rice’s switch to the Emirates Stadium on a long-term contract comes just months after he lifted West Ham’s first major trophy since 1980 in the Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina.
Having moved across London, Rice will now be competing for the Champions League rather than Europe’s third tier trophy.
“In football, amazing opportunities arise. Big clubs, like Arsenal, have come for me and it’s really hard to turn down,” Rice told Arsenal’s website.
“You only ever get one career and I really believe in what Mikel (Arteta) is building here and the squad he’s building. I’m really looking forward to the future with Arsenal.”
The 24-year-old midfielder already has vast experience, making 245 senior appearances for the Hammers as well as winning 43 caps for the Three Lions.
Rice started his youth career at Chelsea, before joining the West Ham academy in 2014, and signed his first professional contract a year later.
On the final day of the 2016/17 season, an 18-year-old Declan made his senior debut and soon became an integral part of their first-team squad for the following six seasons.
He was named club captain in May 2022 and went on to lead the Hammers to the Europa Conference League title in June, and was named the tournament’s Player of the Season by UEFA.
A regular with the England national team, he featured at both Euro 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
