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‘Top player’: Declan Rice sends message to departed West Ham man

Photo by Avril Husband/West Ham United FC via Getty Images
Photo by Avril Husband/West Ham United FC via Getty Images
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JUNE 20: Jeremy Ngakia of West Ham United during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers at London Stadium on June 20, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
Photo by Matthew Ashton – AMA/Getty Images

Declan Rice labelled Jeremy Ngakia a ‘top player’ after he bid his farewells to West Ham on Instagram yesterday.

Back in June, heading into the restart, Ngakia’s contract at the London Stadium was coming to an end, and despite breaking into the first-team, he didn’t put pen-to-paper on a new deal and subsequently left.

Ngakia impressed on his Premier League debut for West Ham against Liverpool and it seemed as though he had a bright future at the club.

But it simply wasn’t meant to be for the youngster, who received this message from Rice following his farewell Instagram post to the Hammers faithful.

“Jez…love ya brother,” Rice said. “Top player and boy. All the best with your new adventure mate.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDrPR8CFzi2/?igshid=mi7jcugb3y6e

Rice wasn’t the only one who responded to Ngakia’s Instagram post, with the likes of Yannick Bolasie and Pablo Fornals also sending their best wishes to the player.

If Ngakia had stayed on at West Ham then there’s no doubt that he would have been pushing for a regular starting berth.

Pablo Zabaleta also left after the restart, whilst Ngakia was ahead of the new up and comer, Ben Johnson, as Ryan Fredericks has been producing indifferent performances since joining the club two seasons ago.

But it seems as though the right-back could now be heading to the Championship and joining up with Watford [Sky Sports], who were relegated on the last day of the Premier League season.