West Ham have often prided themselves on nurturing their own talent but in recent years, there’s been a real lack of academy products breaking through in east London. Bucking that trend, however, is young midfielder-come-defender Declan Rice – since making his debut on the final day of last season, the 18-year-old has made eleven appearances for the Hammers.
But the Republic of Ireland U21 has found opportunities a little harder to come by since David Moyes replaced Slaven Bilic in November, an appointment that signified the Hammers are well and truly involved in the relegation battle.
With that in mind, we asked West Ham fans earlier today whether Rice should be issued a start in the League Cup against Arsenal this evening. And according to our exclusive poll, a whopping 94% want to see the promising youngster included in Moyes’ starting XI at the Emirates Stadium.
How would you line up the Irons tonight, West Ham fans? Let us know by commenting below…