When Declan Rice won the ball in his own half, London Stadium went quiet in anticipation.
With the match poised at 2-1, after Michail Antonio and Paquetá had struck back following Hugo Cuypers' opener, the skipper won the ball back, broke over the halfway line, skipped past KAA Gent defender Joseph Okumu and found the bottom corner with effortless ease.
“I think that might be my best one yet!” Rice smiled, reflecting on a stunning goal that highlighted the Hammers’ 5-2 UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-final aggregate win over Gent.
“I've scored some good top corner ones, but the way I picked it up, I knew I had that space in front of me and once I started to drive with the ball. I saw the defender and I took a touch with my right and just saw his whole body move the other way and I thought, 'if I take you back left here, you're not going to be able to get me', and that's exactly what happened. He [Okumu] was dancing away, so I just put it in the back of the net.
"With the celebration, it's a funny thing that I score and I don't know what to do. I just run off and did the knee-slide and the lads smothered me. As a footballer, I will look back on these nights when I retire. And I’ll just think ‘Wow’. What a feeling to score. I am absolutely buzzing.”
Rice rightly was ‘buzzing’. The skipper’s finish put the gloss on a very impressive night in east London. Michail Antonio then added a fourth sending the London Stadium rocking.
A tough season has been Rice’s assessment of the campaign, but nights such as this make the effort, the travel and dedication of such an intense season worth it.
“There has not been a lot to cheer about,” Rice admitted, “but tonight we felt the fans and us as players you have seen us start to hit the form, we know we are capable of.
“It has taken longer than we expected this season, but we are hitting it at the right time. To get into the European semi-finals back-to-back I don’t think that should be underestimated how big that is for this Club.
“We can’t underestimate this. You see how much Roma celebrated winning it last year, it is so big for the Club, for the manager, and for the players. And for me, this competition has been taken seriously and we want to go the whole way.”
Over the next six weeks, the task is set then. But before the first leg of the semi-final on Thursday 11 May at London Stadium and the second leg on Thursday 18 May at AZ Stadion in Alkmaar, the Hammers must turn their attention back to the Premier League.
Declan Rice puts West Ham 3-1 up in style!! 🔥
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) April 20, 2023
What a run from the West Ham captain! 🤩#UECL pic.twitter.com/LJRSUwIX4G
There is work to be done, yes. But if everything goes to plan, 2022/23 could live long in the memory of the players, staff and fans associated with West Ham United.
Rice, as skipper, knows, and loves this, and is ready to lead the way.
"To be captain of West Ham at 24, I don’t think you get many bigger privileges,” he stated. “So long may it continue and let’s try and have a strong end to the season.
“I am constantly trying to drive this group and we have other leaders as well who are really good at that. Even as a young lad, I am trying to drive this team.
“I think getting to the semi-final of any competition is unbelievable. We have done that tonight and the next step is to get to a final. This Club is craving silverware; so, what a chance this is to win a European competition.
“The lads are focused and are ready to keep pushing. It has been a long one, this season. But there is energy from within to have the best end to the season and put a smile on our fans’ faces.”
