West Ham star Declan Rice 'fired up' for Tottenham clash after giving Slaven Bilic selection headache

Slaven Bilic challenged his players to hand him a selection “headache” before their EFL Cup third-round tie last night.

Following an emphatic 3-0 victory over Bolton, the West Ham manager may well have been reaching for the paracetamol after Marko Arnautovic and Declan Rice, in particular, duly obliged.

Arnautovic, starting his first match following his three-game ban, played a major part in West Ham’s first two goals while Rice, 18, once again demonstrated that West Ham have a special young player in their ranks. Playing in his favoured central defensive position in a much-changed line-up, Rice showed a maturity beyond his tender years.

Arnautovic, meanwhile, was dynamic, powerful and occasionally frustrating, such as when he audaciously and unsuccessfully attempted to lob Bolton goalkeeper Mark Howard from 15 yards out.

Both players — and others in this easy victory — have put the pressure on Bilic’s probable starting XI for Saturday’s derby against Tottenham, with teenager Rice underlining what it would mean to him to be picked for that game.

Bilic, who made 10 changes from the team which drew against West Brom on Saturday, told his players that there were places up for grabs and Rice said: “Things like that really fire me up. We have a few more training sessions before the Spurs game. There’s a space up for grabs and I want to take it.”

Rice, far from being intimidated by the prospect of playing up against Harry Kane and Dele Alli, would relish the prospect. 

“I couldn’t begin to describe how I would feel if I was picked,” he said. “It could only stand me in good stead for the future, playing against those kind of players.”

Rice began his career at Chelsea but was released at the age of 14. During that time, though, he met John Terry and still maintains contact with the former England defender.

“He is my idol,” said the Republic of Ireland Under-19 international. “I got to know him at Chelsea and still catch up now and then.”

Evening Standard