West Ham captain says he finds the ongoing rumours over his future ‘annoying’ and confirms that he will not be going anywhere this summer.
The 23-year-old has been a regular in the Hammers midfield since he was a teenager and has also become a fixture in the England team, winning 32 caps for his country.
A mature and impressive presence in the centre of midfield, Rice has been linked with the likes of , and for years already, but remains a key part of David Moyes’ plans in east London.
Rice has two years left on his contract with the Hammers, with the club able to extend the deal by a further year, so they are in no rush to cash in on their most valuable asset.
While it seems inevitable that Rice will leave West Ham at some stage in the next few years, he says it will not be this year and the continued chat about his future is irritating.
‘I’m going to be captain of this season. It’s an honour,’ Rice told .
‘Whatever happens off the pitch takes care of itself. I can’t control that. What I can control is going out there and trying to be the best player every time I put on the shirt.
‘It is annoying because of the numbers that get attached to your name. Obviously, you can’t control that at all.
‘Sometimes you read and see stuff and you don’t want to hear because it’s not true. Like I said, I can’t really control that.
‘All I can do is go on the pitch, play football and be happy, and for the last couple of seasons, that’s what I’ve done. That’s the faith the manager has put in me. All that speculation, that’s what comes with playing well, I suppose.
‘Nothing’s happened, nothing’s officially happened. I’ve always said, until anything actually happens, there’s no point talking about anything.
‘I’m a West Ham player, I’ve got a contract with West Ham. I’ll always respect that. Every time I put on the shirt, I want to be the best player, I want to give 100 per cent.’
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