West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice will come up against Aston Villa after the international break.
Aston Villa supporters on Twitter have shared their thoughts on Declan Rice stating that he wanted to join the club prior to his breakthrough season with West Ham United.
England international Rice told FourFourTwo that he wanted a move away from West Ham last summer when Villa were in the Championship and managed by Steve Bruce.
In the end a move didn’t materialise, as the rising star will now come up against Villa after the international break – Manuel Pellegrini’s side will travel to the Midlands on September 16.
Villa supporters on Twitter provided a mixed reaction to Rice’s comments, with some starting that Bruce didn’t see his potential, whilst others seemingly felt he would not have been able to break into Villa’s midfield.
Whilst Villa earned promotion to the Premier League via the Champions play-offs, there were times during the season when they were seriously struggling – Bruce’s sacking in October is proof of that.
In the end, Dean Smith came to the club and found the right formula, with John McGinn, Jack Grealish and Conor Hourihane playing in the middle of the park as Villa beat Derby in the play-off final at Wembley.
More than likely, barring injuries, Rice will come up against both McGinn and Grealish when Villa host Manuel Pellegrini’s side, as both teams will be battling for some much-needed points.
The Hammers go into the game on the back of three straight wins in all competitions, whilst Villa suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at Crystal Palace last time out.
Here is a selection of Villa fans reacting to Rice’s comments:
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