Declan Rice and Mason Mount were together at Chelsea during the academy days.
According to The Athletic, there were three reasons why Chelsea let go of Declan Rice when he was 14 years old.
The Englishman eventually moved to West Ham United where he has made a name for himself. Now considered to be one of the best young talents in the country, he has come a long way indeed from the heartbreak of leaving the Bridge.
In a curious twist of fate, Rice is now a key transfer target for Frank Lampard heading into the summer window. He will however not come cheap and could do down as one of our costliest mistakes.
A major reason for Chelsea parting ways with Declan Rice was his inability to hold down a starting position. Ironically, it was due to the versatility that saw him excel in multiple positions.
Capable of playing in both midfield and defence, Rice’s strength was viewed as a weakness. And how it has come to bite us now.
A second reason for Rice’s departure was the arrival of defender Joseph Colley from Swedish side Brommapojkarna. A promising talent in his own right, Colley never reached the levels expected of him.
The 21-year-old was sold by Chelsea in 2019 and now plays for Chievo Verona in the Italian second division. If it was a coin toss between which player we had to choose, it is fair to say the Blues made the wrong call.
Today, Rice is a dominant player who uses his athleticism and physical prowess to good effect. However, that was not the case back in 2014 where the club dismissed advice over his physicality.
While the club’s medical staff gave a promising report on his expected development, the club chose to ignore the advice.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing to have and Chelsea clearly lacked it in the case of Rice. Our loss turned out to be West Ham’s gain as he is now a key player for the Hammers.
Frank Lampard recently admitted there are no regrets about letting go of Rice. However, we beg to differ and wonder if that truly is the case behind closed doors. (h/t Sky Sports)
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