The smile said it all. As a long, hard, challenging campaign approaches its conclusion, Declan Rice is preparing to lead West Ham United into a European final.
The young captain has stood tall on and off the pitch and did so again on his 51st appearance of the 2022/23 season for Club and country.
And now, two years after after suffering the disappointment of England’s UEFA Euro 2020 final defeat by Italy, he will face Italian opposition in Fiorentina when the Irons step out at the Eden Arena in Prague, Czechia, on Wednesday 7 June.
“Look, to be fair, it’s not just me, I just wear the armband and I’ve got 22 players, staff and people who allow us to go and do what we’ve done tonight,” he beamed. “To wear the armband for this Club, I know how big it is, I really know how big it is.
“I’m hoping to finish the season on a high now. We’ve obviously got two Prem games left but ultimately the big one is the seventh of June and we’ll give it absolutely everything.
“You can say the pressure has lifted because we’ve created history tonight, regardless. To get to a final for the first time in 47 years, every one of us will be remembered in West Ham’s fans’ hearts and our history.
“I’ve had to deal with a lot, on and off the pitch, but I just take it with a pinch of salt, really, and I just try to play my football, try to play with a smile on my face and every time I put on that shirt, I know what it means.
“If I don’t always play my best, I can never let the badge down, so I always give 100 per cent because the fans, like I say every time, it’s a Thursday night, they’re here and some have missed two days of work and I appreciate every single one of you.
“From me, a big thank you because even thought the season’s not been the best, you still sing your hearts out every week and we really appreciate it.”
After the final whistle, the players celebrated in the dressing room with a chorus of ‘West Ham are Massive’ and a dance-along to ‘Cotton Eye Joe’ before Rice, goalscorer Pablo Fornals and Sporting Director Mark Noble returned to the pitch to applaud the 1,000-strong Claret and Blue Army.
It was the celebration for a job well done against a talented and dangerous AZ Alkmaar team previously unbeaten in 25 home European games, but one who breached the West Ham back line just once in 180 minutes.
“We knew how they played and we ran our plan to a tee,” he explained. “I think we could have scored one or two more, but I think our Premier League physicality and intensity in the end was too much for them.
“We could have probably done a bit better with our chances, but Prague here we come! Prague that way, airport that way!”
