Declan Rice shares emotional note for West Ham after signing deal with ArsenalIncredible 10 years come to an end

By India Today Sports DeskWest Ham midfielder Declan Rice expressed his gratitude to the club’s fans in a heartfelt message ahead of his imminent move to Arsenal.

After a decade with West Ham, Rice bid farewell through a poignant statement on the club’s website. The transfer, worth a reported 105 million pounds (USD 137 million), is set to be finalised soon, with Arsenal emerging as the victors in the pursuit of the talented midfielder.

The 24-year-old Rice is expected to face significant expectations and responsibilities at his new club. His official announcement as an Arsenal player is forthcoming, and he may debut against Nottingham Forest on August 12.

“Where do I start? Rice wrote. “I guess at the very beginning, in the spring of 2013, when I travelled all the way from my home in south west London to Essex for a trial with West Ham at the age of 14, not really knowing what to expect, or whether it was a good idea to consider the possibility of playing for a club miles away from my family and where I had grown up.

“However, I knew from the very first moment I walked into Chadwell Heath that I had found another place I could call home. It’s difficult to explain the feeling – I can only describe it as a sense of comfort and familiarity, almost as though it had been waiting for me. I fitted in straight away and realised just what a special club I had joined.

“So many great memories and highlights – my first goal for the Club two days before my 20th birthday, finishing in the top six of the Premier League, winning the Hammer of the Year award three times, the magical European nights under the lights at London Stadium – and all topped off by the way last season ended.

“I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much. Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.

“Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new Club. I will always give 100% every single time I pull on the shirt – because that is how I have been brought up at West Ham, and I’m sure you wouldn’t expect anything else.”