West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice has penned a goodbye letter to the club ahead of his move to Arsenal.
Rice, who is the subject of a £105 million bid, is expected to be officially announced as an Arsenal player in the coming hours.
Having spent the last nine years at West Ham, it is no surprise to see Rice somewhat emotional about his departure which he confirmed in a heartfelt farewell to the Hammers faithful.
“Hello everyone, I wanted to speak to you personally and directly, from the heart, to share my thoughts now that my departure from West Ham United has been confirmed,” the letter read.
“The last few days and weeks have been an absolute whirlwind of emotion, but it is important to me that I have the opportunity to say goodbye and reflect on what has been such a special and memorable part of my life.”
Rice then went on to reminisce on his first day at the club, personal milestones, winning the Conference League as skipper last season and playing with Mark Noble before shouting out the West Ham supporters.
“Finally, my last thank-you must go to you, the supporters,” Rice added.
“The loyal, passionate, devoted, at times hilarious, and always honest Hammers, who are massive everywhere you go.
“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.
“Ultimately, though, it has only ever been about my ambition to play at the very highest level of the game.”
From being released by the Chelsea academy to being on the verge of becoming the most expensive English player ever, it is safe to say Rice’s time in East London has been a massive success as he prepares to embark on a new journey at the Emirates Stadium.
