David Moyes explains Declan Rice’s hidden role in West Ham’s transfer policy

David Moyes admits Declan Rice is constantly motivating him to keep improving West Ham.

The Hammers go into Sunday’s clash with London rivals Tottenham riding high in the European places.

And Moyes knows that if he can keep them in contention for a top-six finish, he can send a message to the one-time Chelsea target that he doesn’t have to move to fulfil his ambitions.

He said: “Declan is pushing me to improve the team, because I’m looking at him and saying, ‘You’re an England international, possibly a future England captain, and you want me to get you good players.

"Good players you can play with and who want to get better’.

“So every day I look at him, I think, ‘My goodness, he’s making me find better players in turn to make West Ham better’.

“And I think Declan will always be here as long as he thinks I’m going to try to get him good players and players he thinks will help the team get better.

“So, hopefully, he will have liked the way we’ve gone forward and think we’ve brought good players.

“For the likes of Declan and the players we’ve got, I want them to see we’re building a young team for the future.

“I want this level to be continuous if it can be.

“Being in the European positions, and I’ve been here a few times, makes a big difference to how players perceive your club.

“And when you have a big club in London it’s always an attraction as well.

“If we could finish near the top it will make us much more attractive in the future, and we want to keep a hold of our good players as well, we want them to think this is the right place to be.”

Moyes has already made some cute signings with Tomas Soucek, Vladimir Coufal, Said Benrahma and Jarrod Bowen having an impact.

On-loan Jesse Lingard has hit the ground running as well and his manager is delighted with the impact he is having on and off the pitch.

Moyes said: “Jesse has helped us by playing the way he has and also doing all the basics well and being the good team player that he is, and showing the things that made Jesse so exciting a year or two ago when he was a regular England squad player.

“Bringing character into the football club isn’t always that easy.

“You speak to people and do your work on it.

“Soucek and Coufal have been unbelievable. Every character adds something to the dressing-room and lifts it and they have been great characters.

“Jesse takes responsibility in taking the ball when other people wouldn’t.

"He has been at a big club and knows what it looks like, and he has a bit of a challenge now to show what it’s all about.

“Yes he’s a young, lively boy, he’s fun round the place.

“But if ever there was to be a bit of fun in football it would be at the training ground now because most of us, after we leave the training ground, we’re all going home sitting in the house and we can’t go anywhere.

“So it helps the experience Jesse is bringing, but also his personality, his fun-loving character has helped us as well.”

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