Declan Rice says he is blocking out “noise and speculation” over his West Ham future as he has his “heart set” on leading the club to European glory in Prague next month.
West Ham travel to the Czech capital to face Italian side Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League showpiece on June 7, their first major European final in 47 years.
The game is also expected to be Rice’s last in a West Ham shirt. The midfielder is set to be sold this summer, with Arsenal leading the chase for his signature.
Travelling Hammers fans again sang for Rice to extend his stay throughout Sunday’s 2-1 defeat at Leicester, but there is a general acceptance that he will move on, having spoken publicly earlier in the season of his desire to play Champions League football.
Asked, however, whether winning in Prague would be the ideal way to sign off, Rice said: “I’ve not really focused on any of that, to be honest.
“My main focus this season, from the World Cup onwards, has been getting us out of a relegation battle and, of course, having one eye on winning this trophy.
“Everything else is just noise and speculation. Obviously, I can’t help that, it comes with playing. But my main focus is playing for West Ham and winning this final. My heart’s set on that, doing it for the club, for my family, for the fans and that’s my only focus. I want to make them all very happy and my focus is on doing that.”
West Ham have not won a major competition since the 1980 FA Cup victory over Arsenal while, remarkably, just two men have ever lifted trophies as captain of the club: the legendary figures of Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds.
Rice, therefore, has the opportunity to join an extremely select club, while David Moyes’s side can turn what at one stage threatened to be a disastrous campaign into a historic one.
“I think all of us have dreamed about it, obviously with the journey we’ve been on,” Rice said. “We’re one game away from lifting something for West Ham, which would go down in history.
“I don’t think about those things too much because I’ve been in finals before and obviously lost, the highs and lows of the game are really minimal.
“But I think we’re all dreaming, the fans are all dreaming, and I think we have a right to but it’s down to us to get it done.”
Moyes made six changes to his side for the trip to Leicester and then all five permitted substitutes during the second half as he managed his squad’s playing time ahead of the Fiorentina match, but Rice again played all 90 minutes.
The 24-year-old has now played 58 games for club and country this season, including starting all five of England’s matches at the World Cup and all but two of West Ham’s in the Premier League. He insists, however, that he is still firing on all cylinders.
“I feel unbelievably fit,” he added. “I’m ready for anything in that final, whether it’s going to go 90 minutes or 120 minutes, I feel I’ll be able to play any minutes that are required.
“It’s been a long season with the World Cup, but the way I’ve kept myself off the pitch has probably been the key to being able to play so many games and keeping myself fresh. I want to play every game as well, I want to rack up as many appearances as possible and it’s been good to do that.”
