Rice says he is 'absolutely gutted' as former club West Ham drop to Championship

Declan Rice has expressed his devastation at West Ham’s relegation from the Premier League, posting a personal tribute to his former club on Instagram after the Irons were confirmed as one of three teams dropping to the Championship on Sunday.

West Ham finished 18th under Nuno Espirito Santo, whose position at the club is now under serious scrutiny. A 3-0 home win over Leeds proved irrelevant as Tottenham secured their own survival by beating Everton on the same afternoon, sealing the Hammers’ fate.

“I’m absolutely gutted to see West Ham relegated,” Rice wrote on his Instagram story. “A club that really does mean so much to me. As I said before, I wouldn’t be where I am today without everything the club has done for me. With that being said, I have no doubt they will be back where they belong in the Premier League in no time. I will be supporting always.”

Rice, 27, left West Ham in the summer of 2023 to join Arsenal for a British-record £105 million. The club had taken him on as a teenager after Chelsea released him at 14, and he went on to captain the side during a decade at the London Stadium.

Speaking at the time of his departure, Rice reflected on what the club meant to him. “It was definitely the hardest decision I’ve had to make so far in football,” he told Channel 4. “Everyone knows my love for West Ham still even now. I was kept in and around the first-team and once I made my debut I’ve not looked back since.”

The contrast with his current circumstances could hardly be sharper. Rice has enjoyed an exceptional season at Arsenal, playing a central role in their Premier League title win and their run to the Champions League final.

West Ham’s campaign, meanwhile, unravelled badly in the second half of the season. Reports emerged on Sunday that one first-team player refused to feature in the relegation decider following a dispute with Nuno, adding to the sense of dysfunction surrounding the club’s final weeks in the top flight.

Jarrod Bowen, one of the club’s most prominent players, also released a statement addressing his future amid uncertainty over the squad’s composition ahead of life in the second tier.