Gesture Declan Rice spotted making towards West Ham fans may change a few minds after return with Arsenal

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A gesture Declan Rice was spotted making towards West Ham fans may change a few minds after his return with Arsenal.

It was a difficult night for Declan Rice on his return to West Ham as his old side dumped Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup with a comfortable 3-1 win at the London Stadium.

Much – indeed perhaps too much – of the focus before, during and after the match was on the reception West Ham fans would give their former captain.

Ahead of the game Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he expected it to be a ‘beautiful moment’ and warm reception for Rice.

West Ham manager David Moyes had called on the club’s fans to welcome ‘impeccable’ Rice back with ‘open arms’.

Gesture Declan Rice spotted making towards West Ham fans may change a few minds after return with Arsenal

Here on Hammers News we predicted it would be very much mixed with jeers being drowned out by applause.

And that proved to be the case when he was welcomed onto the pitch as a second half Arsenal substitute with West Ham fans then booing his every touch – in a customary fashion dating back years.

There is no escaping the fact many West Ham fans have not taken kindly to Rice’s defection to north London.

West Ham and Arsenal have never been great rivals. And there is no doubting the Gunners are a massive club. But there is a feeling among some Hammers supporters that Arsenal were not a big enough step up or a sure bet for the silverware he craves to risk jeopardising his West Ham legacy.

After all is said and done, Rice class will not be forgotten

So it was inevitable there would be some jeering of Rice from those who used to cheer him.

But a gesture Rice was spotted making towards West Ham fans may change a few minds after his return with Arsenal.

The midfielder stayed on the pitch after the final whistle following his new team’s humbling cup exit.

And he applauded each London Stadium stand with the odd thumbs up in a show of real class.

West Ham fans responded in kind.

And with that simple but poignant gesture he may have just changed a few of those hearts and minds.

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