Declan Rice delivers pulsating final act to push West Ham over the line

Declan Rice could never have dreamed this. Almost a decade after being released as a teenager by Chelsea, West Ham’s captain and talisman has the fairytale ending he so dearly craved.

Until Jarrod Bowen’s dramatic late winning goal that prompted David Moyes to embark on a David Pleat‑esque jig across the turf at the Eden Arena, winning a first major European trophy since the days of Bobby Moore and company in 1965 had seemed the least likely scenario against Fiorentina. The Italian side dominated possession thanks to the outstanding Sofyan Amrabat despite falling behind to Saïd Benrahma’s penalty. But it is a testament to the spirit Moyes and Rice have created among this group of players that West Ham simply refused to give in. Now they have their reward.

Having won 13 of their previous 14 matches in this competition to reach the final, there had been a growing feeling of optimism among the estimated 20,000 West Ham supporters who descended on Prague’s main square during the daytime. Most of those clad in claret and blue sang “One more year, one more year, Declan Rice” in hope rather than expectation as they made their way to the stadium and fanzone.

But for the 4,890 lucky enough to have secured an official ticket in the 19,370-capacity home of Slavia Prague and a few thousand more who had also somehow found a way in, this was an occasion to savour. From the moment that Rice received a rapturous welcome as he led West Ham’s players on to the pitch to warm up, there was a sense of determination to finish the journey that began with the run to the Europa League semi‑finals last season. Not even the pre-match ceremony featuring a group of largely middle-aged men charging about on the pitch playing electric guitars could