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The England international has officially confirmed his departure from the Hammers after record transfer to the Gunners
Declan Rice has sent an open letter to West Ham fans ahead of his impending move to Arsenal.
The 24-year-old is set to join Arsenal for £105 million after the Hammers confirmed he had left the club after a decade.
He led them to the Europa League trophy last season and became a regular performer for England in his time in East London.
In the letter, which was published on Saturday morning, Rice told fans they would ‘always be in his heart’ and insisted his move would diminish the 'love and respect' he feels for West Ham.
He ran through his entire time at the club which started as a 14-year-old at the Academy, where the midfielder said he formed 'some of his happiest of his life.'
Rice went on to run through his achievements at the club, which include three young player of the year awards, three player of the year awards, a sixth-place Premier League finish and 245 appearances for the club.
On his last season with the Hammers, he said: “Although our Premier League campaign didn’t pan out the way we hoped, the team showed great character and determination to get ourselves out of a tough position and finish strongly.”
“The celebrations in the dressing-room after Pablo’s last-minute goal away at Alkmaar were unforgettable – especially after the disappointment in Frankfurt a year earlier.
“I wasn’t sure anything could better the scenes in Alkmaar, but we managed to take it to another level in Prague.”
Rice also gave thanks to managers and David Moyes, Slaven Bilic and Manuel Pellegrini, alongside a host of coaches and staff he had worked with in his time at the club and his 'great friend' Mark Noble for teaching him 'about the game, about leadership, about life.'
His biggest tribute came for the fans, though, as he added: “My last thank-you must go to you, the supporters. The loyal, passionate, devoted, at times hilarious, and always honest Hammers, who are massive everywhere you go!”
The England man was also honest about his future as he prepares to move to North London.
“I want you to know how tough a decision it has been for me to leave an environment that I have loved and cherished so much,' he said. “Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.
“Playing on the opposite team to West Ham for the first time will be an unusual experience. I’m not sure yet exactly how I will feel, but I also know you will all understand and respect that my professional loyalties have to now lie with my new Club.
“I will always give 100% every single time I pull on the shirt – because that is how I have been brought up at West Ham, and I’m sure you wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Rice is expected to be announced as an Arsenal player imminently, in a deal that will likely make him the most expensive English player in Premier League history.
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