Declan Rice right to turn down West Ham’s latest contract offer and should demand more money, insists Jamie Carragher
Hammers' promising teen has been in a contract stand-off with the club for months
JAMIE CARRAGHER defended Declan Rice in his contract stand-off with West Ham by saying: local lads deserve more money!
Rice, 19, has been offered a new long-term deal at the London Stadium worth £15,000-a-week following months of negotiations.
But the figure would still see the promising teen on less than a quarter of what his fellow defenders earn.
Speaking to , Carra said: “It’s not just Declan Rice, myself and every young player that comes through at Prem clubs or any club, they’re always seen as having to be grateful.
“If it was a young player bought from abroad there would be no question about what he deserves as money.
“I always felt in my own position as a local lad you’ve always got to be seen to be grateful and you never get what the other players get.
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“Local players coming through at their home clubs are definitely treated differently financially, and that’s gone on for years.”
Carragher added: “It just frustrates me that he might now be being painted by maybe half the West Ham supporters as a money-grabber.”
Rice, who currently earns around £3,000-a-week, has been at West Ham since the age of 15.
He broke into the team last season and has been a regular under Manuel Pellegrini.
Former Liverpool defender Carragher said: “I’ve been really impressed with him, he looks like he’s got a fantastic attitude.
“I don’t think – fingers crossed – that he would be the type to get carried away and lost with it.
“All he probably wants is to be treated the same as the lads in the XI with him.”