Declan Rice has lifted the lid on one emerging West Ham star David Moyes seriously rates and says he’s told him so.
If anyone knows what it takes to go from West Ham’s academy to being a star for the first team it is captain Rice.
Indeed the Hammers talisman has gone one step further and become one of the first names on the teamsheet for England too.
This week sporting director Mark Noble revealed that West Ham decided to allow several young players to leave in January to clear a path for an outstanding new crop coming through the ranks.
One of those is young striker Divin Mubama.
The energetic and powerful 18-year-old has already had a taste of first team action, appearing in Europe, the FA Cup and the Premier League for West Ham.
And it seems he could have a big future with the Hammers if new comments from the captain are anything to go by.
Because Rice has lifted the lid on one emerging West Ham star Moyes seriously rates and he’s told him so too.
Moyes has put on record that he really likes Mubama and his attitude.
Speaking on BT Sport Rice says the Scot does not dish out public praise of young players willy nilly.
Declan Rice lifts lid on one emerging West Ham star David Moyes seriously rates and he’s told him so
And the skipper reveals he has told Mubama that the manager really rates him and advised him to keep working hard.
“The lads know when they come over (from the academy), because I’m young as well, I get on with all of them,” Rice said on BT Sport.
“Especially Divin, who scored that game in Bucharest. I literally had a conversation with him at the start of the season saying ‘the manager really likes you, keep working hard, keep improving, keep doing things after training’.
“You know what he works his socks off. For him to then go and score in Bucharest, now the manager’s giving him praise in the media and for him it’s a massive confidence booster. For me it’s about giving that confidence to the young lads as well.”
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