The Hammers midfielder was subbed off at half time once last year and once in 2017 but his now indispensable to the team.
West Ham United ace Declan Rice has acknowledged that he has made “mistakes” in the claret and blue but insists that he is now “loving” things and praised manager Manuel Pellegrini for his belief and trust.
The 20-year-old is an indispendable member of the Hammers first team at present but he has had to bounce back from two notable setbacks – displays that led to him being hauled off at half time by Slaven Bilic against Newcastle in 2017 and again by Pellegrini earlier this season at Liverpool (as mentioned in Football London).
Things have notably improved since then, with Pellegrini’s run of four Premier League losses in a row during the start of his tenure having given way to better results and a current league position of 10th in the table, while Rice is now a bona fide star contracted to the club long-term.
Speaking after collecting Young Player of the Year accolade at the London Football Awards on Thursday, the midfielder spoke out about his decision to choose England over the Republic of Ireland, calling it the “toughest decision” he had had to make so far in his career.
Rice then spoke about his progress at West Ham, telling the audience as quoted by Sky Sports News: “Last year I made some mistakes but I have bounced back from that. I got subbed at Liverpool, knowing I had to work harder to get back in the team.
“But I have found my place in the team, the manager has shown a lot of belief and trust in me. I am really grateful to him for that. I am loving it, I am really enjoying it. Last year was tough because I was in and out of the side and the start of this season was tough. I am playing with a smile on my face, which is the main thing.”
Up next for Rice and his Hammers is a Premier League home game against an in-form Newcastle United in Saturday’s early evening kickoff.
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