RICE TO THE OCCASION

Declan determined to join legends by leading Hammers to Euro glory

- MIKE WALTERS

WISH him luck as you wave him goodbye, but Declan Rice is desperate to go out in a blaze of glory.

If the Europa Conference League final is his last game in a West Ham shirt, then the £100m England midfielder has already written the script.

"It's a chance to go out and create a legacy where every single player, the manager, everyone involved, will be remembered forever," said Rice.

A first major trophy in 43 years, and the first in Europe since Bobby Moore lifted the Cup Winners' Cup back in 1965, would be the most spectacular exit by an Eastenders legend since Danny Dyer went for a swim at Christmas.

Rice, blessed with mechanical fitness and enviable passing range, will run himself into the ground for David Moyes' men against Fiorentina in the 20,000-capacity Eden Arena to pursue his Hollywood happy ending.

There are no guarantees this tale of Florence and the machine will follow the Hammers captain's screenplay.

It's a genuine 50-50 call and in the Czech capital, one man's jellied eels is another man's knedliky (the national pork dish), but Rice is not playing down the occasion.