Declan Rice opens up on growing up as Chelsea fan, reveals he still has house in the area

"Growing up the whole family was Chelsea, yeah," Declan Rice told Gary Neville in an interview for The Overlap channel on YouTube.

"I feel like it’s out there, everyone knows, it’s well documented. I feel like when you play for a club like West Ham you become really affiliated to it and part of me now, and my family as well, is massive West Ham fans as well."

In fact, he still has a house in Kingston-upon-Thames in south-west London, just seven miles away from Stamford Bridge.

"Yeah, I'm here all the time," Rice added. "I've always wanted to stay close to this place, I feel like I don't want to lose my roots."

If the recent transfer rumours are anything to go by, he might not need to leave the area. As per The Athletic, Rice is one of the players on Chelsea's shortlist for the summer transfer window.

Of course, there'll be a sense of unfinished business for Rice who was released by the Chelsea academy at the age of 14.

Source: The Overlap @ YouTube