"Even holding the championship cup, my heart sank." Declan Rice sighed alone during the Arsenal celebration. Why... "Heartbroken by news of West Ham's relegation"

*This content was translated by AI.

Arsenal's title win did not comfort him. Declan Rice (27), upon learning of his former club West Ham's relegation, was captured looking deeply distressed.

The UK's The Sun reported on the 25th (Korea time) that "Arsenal's Rice briefly left the league title ceremony to check on West Ham's relegation status and was heartbroken."

Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 in the final 38th round match of the 2025-2026 English Premier League (EPL) held at Selhurst Park in London, England, on this day. Having already secured the title, Arsenal held a post-match celebration, during which Rice received loud cheers from fans.

The media stated, "Even during the event, Rice was thinking of his former club West Ham, fighting to avoid relegation. He transferred to Arsenal from West Ham in July 2023 for a transfer fee of 105 million pounds (approximately 214 billion won)." It further reported that "Rice stepped off the stage just before the awards ceremony to personally confirm whether West Ham would remain in the top flight."

Cameras captured Rice listening intently as the Palace stadium announcer announced the final results of other matches. On this day, 18th-placed West Ham defeated Leeds United 3-0, but 17th-placed Tottenham also beat Everton 1-0, ultimately confirming West Ham's relegation.

The media reported that "Rice seemed to grasp the situation even before the match results were officially announced, letting out a deep sigh. After making a gesture filled with regret, he turned back toward the field."

A video capturing Rice's regretful reaction spread quickly via social media (SNS). West Ham fans, upon seeing this, expressed admiration for the former player's sincerity. Fans left comments such as "Rice is a true man who understands loyalty and honor," "If we had more players who behaved like him, our team would not be in this situation," and "He still loves us."

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*This content was translated by AI.