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8th May 2023
10:06am BST
Declan Rice made a kid's day in a heartfelt display of kindness after his team beat Man Utd on Saturday.
The West Ham captain had promised his shirt to Rashford, but after seeing the Hammer fan crying in the stands, he stopped to offer him a hug and a gift he will never forget.
West Ham is now seven points clear of Nottingham Forest in the final relegation spot, which should be enough for them to maintain their Premier League status, while the loss leaves Rashford's squad on shaky ground. Liverpool, who are in fifth, are just one point behind with a game to play.
After spotting the emotional fan, Rice stopped and asked him, "Are you alright, brother? Why are you crying?"
He then embraced him in a hug and when the fan asked if he could have his shirt, Rice obliged.
Rice told the kid: "You know what, I did promise it to Rashford. Don't show them lot [some other fans] because I've just told them I'm going to give it to Rashford, but I'll give him another one!"
After handing over his game-shirt, Rice gave the kid another big hug, telling him, "I love you mate."
Video of the gesture has gone viral with 4.7m views and football fans have flooded the comments with admiration for Rice.
The West Ham fan who shared the video, believed to be the kid's dad, wrote: "What a hero you are Declan Rice, thanks so much."
The fan is now seeking help to get Rice to sign the shirt, as he did not have a pen with him.
And Rice has said he will oblige, tweeting: "Seeing your boy made my night. This is what it's all about! Would be a pleasure to sign it for you."
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Rice expressed his delight at the win saying: "It’s massive. The points it puts us on now put a nice gap between us and the teams at the bottom. There’s still three to go but the significance of the three points is massive.
"We had our eye on this game as one we could win in front of the home fans. Today, the lads gave absolutely everything and it was a thoroughly deserved win.
"As players you can’t help to look around you. To win this one was big, to give ourselves a gap between ourselves and the bottom. Mathematically, you still need 40 [points, West Ham are currently on 37 points]."
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