Forgotten wonderkid was 'better than England star Declan Rice at West Ham' but is now worth just £1.2m

It's hard to believe but at one point Declan Rice was not the most talented player coming through the ranks at West Ham. It was another midfielder, who is now worth just £1.2m.

Rice has cemented his reputation as one of the best midfielders in world football since moving from West Ham to Arsenal for a club-record £105million fee last summer.

He made 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring seven times, as Arsenal once again came runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League.

Rice is expected to play a key role for England at Euro 2024 this summer, with Gareth Southgate's side taking on Serbia in their opening Group C match on Sunday.

Still aged only 25, Rice has enjoyed a remarkable journey from West Ham's academy to the very top of the professional game.

Rice rose from the Hammers youth team to become the club’s third-ever captain to lift major silverware, after Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds.

But it has not always been a smooth journey for the midfielder.

As per the Athletic, Reece Oxford was widely considered the outstanding talent in the West Ham academy, having announced himself on the scene as a 16-year-old with a starring role as West Ham beat Arsenal 2-0 in 2015.

Furthermore, other prospects received their professional deals before Rice, and at the time there was growing concern among his camp that he was going to be released for a second time, having previously been let go by Chelsea.

Former West Ham trainee Lewis Page, now of Gillingham told the Athletic: "I remember having a conversation with him after dinner. Dec wasn’t sure if he was going to get a scholarship with West Ham.

Reece Oxford playing for West Ham (Image: Getty)

"He got released by Chelsea and he was worried it was going to happen again. I was always confident he was going to get one, but at the time the club weren’t sure what was Dec’s best position.

"Reece was the main talent at centre-back and I’m not sure if the club thought Dec was good enough to play in midfield. You had Josh Cullen and Ben Marlow who were ahead of him. But West Ham took the chance and it’s paid off ever since."

Rice is now the second most expensive British player in history, provided he performs well enough for his £5million add-ons to be met, with only Jude Bellingham (£115m) costing more.

Meanwhile, Transfermarkt values Oxford at just £1.2m.

After failing to kick on after his remarkable debut against Arsenal, Oxford was loaned to Reading, Borussia Monchengladbach and Augsburg before joining the latter on a permanent deal in 2019.

But he has struggled with injuries during his time at the German club and was reportedly impacted by the long-term effects of COVID-19, undergoing medical treatment.

He did not make a single senior appearance in the 2023/24 campaign and it is unclear if he is able to continue his professional career.

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