The manager of Chelsea football club, Frank Lampard says the London club has no regret that the club allowed Declan Rice to exit the club’s academy system in 2014.
The handlers of Chelsea academy then felt Declan Rice was not improving up to expectations and had to release him after spending about 8 years of his life at the football academy.
Fortunately for the 21-year-old defensive midfielder, he was able to find his way into West Ham United’s youth system where he groomed himself from 2014 and 2015 before he was promoted to the club’s senior team.
Since then, the youngster has been moving from strength to strength to the extent that he was given a call up to England national team on 22 March 2019. Since then, he has made 10 appearances for the Three Lions.
For West Ham United, Declan Rice has been one of the most important players at the club where he has made 123 appearances in which he scored 3 goals and provided 5 assists.
Last season, the defensive midfielder made 38 appearances for West Ham United in which he scored a goal and provided three assists. At the end of the season, he won the West Ham United Player of the Year award, two years after he won West Ham United Young Player of the Year award for two successive seasons.
When asked about the progress of the versatile defensive midfielder ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League match against West Ham scheduled for Monday, December 21, 2020, at 21:00, Frank Lampard said he is happy with the progress of the England international.
Lampard applauded the strong personality of Declan Rice for being able to maintain the focus despite being released by Chelsea at such a tender age.
“He’s a fantastic player for West Ham and England so fair play because his journey thereafter leaving Chelsea and going to West Ham is a good story to hear,” said Lampard.
“There are lots of stories like that and it shows the player’s strength of character. In terms of from our end, I certainly wouldn’t use the word ‘regret’ – our academy is one of the best in the world and you look at our first team now with the players that we have produced who are in and around that squad.
“It’s not easy. It’s not an exact science to pick players but the academy staff does brilliantly here. Declan Rice has given himself personal credit for having the great start to the career that he’s had at West Ham.”
According to transfermarkt, Declan Rice is currently worth 55 million euros in the transfer market and Chelsea is planning to sign him during the forthcoming January transfer window. The site claimed that the probability of Rice returning to Chelsea is 58 percent as of December 18, 2020.
Great angle. Great moment 🤩@_DeclanRice's first #ThreeLions goal! pic.twitter.com/b5fez6es6n
— England (@England) November 19, 2020
