You may have heard that Declan Rice used to play for Chelsea. He was on the club's books until the age of 14 but was released and eventually ended up at West Ham United. Things have gone rather well for him since.
Rice has blossomed into one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League over the past five seasons and is a regular starter for England. He has also managed to catch the eye of those back at Chelsea.
Frank Lampard wanted to sign the 22-year-old during his time in charge at Stamford Bridge. It didn't happen. But in Thomas Tuchel, Chelsea have another head coach who is an admirer of the midfielder.
"It happens at every single club in the world, that sometimes players get released in one moment and they have their career in a different way, so this is a pretty normal thing,” Tuchel said during his pre-match press conference on Friday.
“I am absolutely aware that he is a Chelsea boy and he comes through the academy and he is very close to our guys. He’s a very strong player, an important member of the England team. So it speaks for itself."
In addition to once playing for Chelsea, Rice is a boyhood Blues fan. So there would've been extra motivation for the West Ham captain to produce a strong performance. He didn't disappoint.
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