‘Arsenal supporters owe me £50m’ – Moyes hails ‘unbelievable’ Rice ahead of reunion with midfielder | OneFootball

David Moyes joked Arsenal fans owe him £50m because the Gunners should have paid more than the £100m they did for Declan Rice when Moyes was in charge of West Ham.

Moyes and Rice will be reunited when Arsenal travel to Goodison Park to face Moyes’ Everton on Saturday.

The Scotsman, who made Rice West Ham’s skipper before his high-profile move to the Emirates, believes the midfielder has more than justified his £105 million price tag – and could have been worth even more.

Rice spent six seasons at West Ham, where he succeeded Mark Noble as West Ham captain, making 245 appearances, scoring 15 goals and helping the club secure their first major European trophy in over 40 years when they lifted the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2023.

His performances under Moyes made him one of the most sought-after midfielders in world football, with Arsenal eventually winning the race for his signature during the 2023 summer transfer window.

Since joining the Gunners, Rice has played a pivotal role in Mikel Arteta’s side as they bid to end their Premier League trophy drought.

While some questioned whether Rice was worth the hefty transfer fee, Moyes insists he always believed the midfielder should have been valued at £150 million.

“Sometimes you want to take credit, but Mikel has done a great job with him,” Moyes said ahead of the game.

“l used to get criticised when I said that he should be £150 million. When I see Arsenal supporters I tell them they still owe me £50 million because we only got £100m for him. I think that he’s proven exactly what we thought he was.”

The England midfielder has also progressed on the international stage having already earned 64 caps for England, playing a key role in their run to the Euro 2024 final.

Moyes praised Rice’s professionalism and leadership qualities, highlighting why he believes the 26 year old is destined to be England’s future captain.

“I always saw Declan as a future England captain,” he said.

“He was an unbelievable example to young players at West Ham because of how he conducted himself. Even when it became clear he was going to leave, he handled the situation impeccably. Everywhere he went, he was applauded because of his actions.”