Declan Rice was given a standing ovation by West Ham’s supporters on an otherwise miserable return to the London Stadium.
It was the first time that the midfielder had returned to east London since his £105million move to Arsenal in the summer.
Declan Rice’s return to the London Stadium didn’t exactly go to plan
Rice received a largely warm reception upon his return to the London Stadium
Midway through the first half, the midfielder made his debut by walking out to warm up on the touchline after being selected on Arsenal’s bench for their Carabao Cup fourth round match.
There were a few boos in the beginning, but most of the West Ham supporters applauded his name, drowning out the jeers.
A few fans even honored Rice with a standing ovation as they honored a guy who contributed so much to the team when he was there.
When he was introduced to the field in the 56th minute, the crowd greeted him similarly, jeering him each time he touched the ball.
Rice came off the bench in the second half but the game was soon out of reach
After being released from Chelsea’s academy at the age of 14, Rice joined West Ham and progressed through the youth ranks before making the first squad.
In his final game as a member of the team, he captained West Ham, making 244 games for the team and winning the Europa Conference League.
Speaking about some of the taunts that Rice had received, West Ham manager David Moyes stated: “People are free to do as they choose.
We have a great deal of respect for Declan and all he does since we are aware of the things he has done for us over the past several years and longer.
Rice came off the bench in the second half but the game was soon out of reach
“He’s a terrific football player and I’m sure everybody in the crowd recognises that.”
Unfortunately Rice’s return didn’t go to plan, with West Ham 3-0 up after 60 minutes thanks to an own goal from Ben White and efforts from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen.
Martin Odegaard did grab a late consolation for Arsenal, but it wasn’t enough as the Gunners were eliminated from the Carabao Cup, with West Ham earning a spot in the last eight.