Declan Rice thinks players feel extra motivation playing against Manchester United because they are 'the biggest club in the world'.
West Ham welcomed Erik ten Hag's side to the London Stadium on Sunday night and they were gifted the lead in the first half due to a calamitous blunder from David de Gea between the sticks, which ultimately decided the contest.
The defeat was United's second in the space of just four days after suffering a loss against Brighton earlier in the week. The pressure has now increased in the hunt for Champions League qualification and Liverpool are closing in fifth position.
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Rice impressed against United in Sunday's match and he played the entire 90 minutes, but after the game, he was asked by talkSPORT what the victory meant and he claimed there is always extra motivation when playing against United.
“When you play against Manchester United you really want to play well because they’re the biggest club in the world,” Rice said.
“Everyone watches Man United and you want to stand out. That’s what I try to do every game, but when you play against the big teams you’ve got that extra fire in your belly to perform.”
Although Rice is a player who is admired by key figures at United, the transfer fee he would command has previously tempered enthusiasm about the prospect of signing him, but he's about to enter the final year of his contract.
Rice said Old Trafford 'is one of his favourite places to play' last season and he's expected to leave West Ham this summer.
The 24-year-old is a key player for England and he's already been given 41 senior caps.
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