Declan Rice admits he was thinking about leaving West Ham on loan after first game of the season

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Declan Rice has been a key West Ham player this season under Manuel Pellegrini, but he’s admitted that he was thinking about leaving the London Stadium on loan after the first game of the season.

The Hammers lost their opening four Premier League games of the campaign and that started with a 4-0 hammering at Anfield against Liverpool in August.

Rice started that game in the XI, but was substituted off at half-time after a difficult encounter and didn’t feature in the next three games after.

But the 20-year-old has played every single league minutes since being recalled for the fifth game away to Everton and is now on cloud nine.

The defensive midfielder is currently away with the senior England squad after his first call-up and is looking a force in top-flight game.

Rice has admitted that he had major doubts over his own ability at the beginning of the campaign and wasn’t sure he was cut out, which is why he even thought about departing on loan last summer.

“We played Liverpool [first game of the season] and I got dragged off at half-time. On the plane on the way home I was thinking I’m not cut out for this level. Was thinking about going on loan,” Rice told England’s official Youtube account.

“Then we had the Everton game which was the fifth game and I’ve played every minute since and haven’t looked back.”

TBR’s View:

Thankfully for West Ham fans Rice didn’t leave the club on loan and he’s got to be one of the frontrunners for the club’s player of the season.

He already has huge responsibility on his head as a young player and his displays are mature beyond his years.

Rice has found great success in the midfield role alongside Mark Noble, with his reading of the game and distribution of the ball a real standout.

He’s also got the versatility to play at centre-back and it will be intriguing to see if he makes his England debut in the next fortnight.