Declan Rice hails West Ham as a ‘real special place’ after boosting hopes of top four finish

Declan Rice has lauded West Ham as a “real special place” after David Moyes’ side defeated Leeds to boost their hopes of a top four finish.

After goals from Jesse Lingard and Craig Dawson, the Hammers closed in on Chelsea, following their win over another top four rival, Everton, with two points separating them, though Moyes’ side hold a game in hand.

And while Rice was not thrilled by his side’s performance, a sign of the team’s progress this season, the England international opened up on the joy of playing at the club right now.

“I’m disappointed with the performance,” England international Rice told Sky Sports. “We won but Leeds caused us a problems. Now we are starting to learn how to win ugly.

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“This is the best squad I have been a part of. You look forward to training and seeing the lads and that shows on the pitch. We are fighting for each other. It is a real special place to be at the moment. The place has a real buzz about it.

“It is hard to say we are going to be [in the] Champions League - there are so many games left. It will be a real tough test, but look where we are now and it is a massive upgrade. It is in our hands. If we want to believe we can be a European team we need to win the big games”.