David Moyes has claimed Declan Rice could have helped to prevent 20% of the goals West Ham United conceded in 2023/24.
David Moyes and Declan Rice spent a couple of years together at West Ham United, winning the Europa Conference League with the club.
Both have since moved on, with Rice joining Arsenal in 2023, and Moyes parting ways with West Ham in 2024.
But Moyes had one full season with the Hammers after Rice’s departure, and he feels it would have gone a lot better if the midfielder had stayed.
“We conceded more goals this year, because [Declan Rice] could have tidied up,” Moyes said on The Rest Is Football. “He’d have tidied up another 20% of them.
“When you do that, then that changes results, it changes defeats into draws.
“Declan was such a great lad to have and could cover the ground and his recovery speed, his ability… but I have to say he has improved in a lot of ways (since leaving).
“He wanted to get forward more in the second year…I think he wanted to prove to everybody how good he could be at the other side of the game as well.”
Rice certainly seems to be making more of an impact in forward areas with Arsenal, scoring seven goals and assisting 10 in his opening campaign with the Gunners.
When you add that to the physicality and defensive benefits he brings, it’s no wonder Moyes recently revealed that he felt Rice should have gone for closer to £150m than £100m.
So many of the world’s big-money transfers end up failing to reach the expectations they’ve set, but that’s certainly not true of Rice so far.
As Moyes suggests, he actually seems to have improved since his move. At 25, he should still have room to get even better.