Gary Neville uses Cristiano Ronaldo's Man Utd example to make Declan Rice transfer claim

Gary Neville has claimed that recent speculation over Declan Rice's future won't harm West Ham, as most people accept that he's going to leave the club "in the next year or two" - just like when Cristiano Ronaldo first quit Manchester United.

Reports emerged this week revealing that Rice has rejected a third contract offer from the Hammers, who are desperate to tie their talisman down to a bumper new deal. However, it's anticipated that Rice - who has attracted long-standing interest from United and Chelsea - will move on in the near future.

And after David Moyes chose to rest Rice for Sunday's clash with Chelsea ahead of the Hammers' Europa League semi-final later this week, Neville believes that West Ham are already bracing themselves for the departure of their star midfielder - even if they appear to have no intention of cashing in on the 23-year-old this summer.

He told Sky Sports: "David Moyes has absolutely done the right to prioritise Europe in the week. He’s got a far better chance of making the Champions League that way than through the traditional route that is top four. Declan Rice, we know he’s going to leave in the next year or two."

And Neville highlighted how United handled Ronaldo's exit back 2009 as an example for how both the player and the club can handle Rice's inevitable future exit amicably. Ronaldo's £80million transfer to Real Madrid came as no surprise after a move failed to materialise the previous year.

He added: "Because of the relationship, I think they can be really mature about this.I don’t think it has to be played out in the media. They can be really direct, honest and then communicate what they’re going to do. I don’t think there’s any reason to allow the speculation to destroy the