The Hammers Under-23s coach recalled an Under-18 game between his side and the Gunners which Wenger attended.
West Ham United Under-23s coach Steve Potts has disclosed what Arsene Wenger once said about Declan Rice when the Hammers went to Arsenal for an Under-18s game.
The 20-year-old has been sensational for the Premier League club this season, showing talent, maturity and composure beyond his years for Manuel Pellegrini’s side.
Rice’s road to the top has not been easy, mind – he has had to bounce back from two notable public setbacks as well as having to make a particularly tough decision.
The setbacks were in the form of poor performances 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).
The tough decision, meanwhile, was in the shape of having to decide whether to declare internationally for the Republic of Ireland or his birth country of England, and Rice eventually opted for the latter.
Having been called up by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate and potentially in line for his debut, West Ham legend Potts said Rice was always a standout performer during his formative years at the club and shared an anecdote involving the player and the legendary Arsenal boss.
As he progressed through the levels, he just got better and better,” Potts told the official Hammers website. “I remember going over to Arsenal for an Under-18 match and, during the game, Arsene Wenger walked over to take a look.
“He was only stood there watching for 20 minutes, but I spoke to one of their staff members I knew after the game, and he said Arsene had pointed out Declan as the best player on the pitch.”
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