West Ham midfielder Declan Rice says being cut loose by Chelsea was the making of him.
Rice faces his old club today, having been axed as a junior at 14 years of age.
He says: "For me, it was really tough because Chelsea was all I knew and all my family knew. I didn't know what would happen, how West Ham would take to me, what the new house would be like that I was moving into, and being away from my family.
"There were so many different things that were a part of me moving to West Ham that have shaped me into the person I am now. Looking back, it was tough and I hated being away from home, but I got through it in the end.
"I had a strong mentality and I wanted to succeed and it's made me into the man I am today."
