There has been little for West Ham to shout about over the last few seasons.

The move to London Stadium, which was meant to take them to the next level, has been a disaster, with the fans in uproar at the decision. On the pitch, too, things have been disappointing, with them currently 16th in the table and level on points with the relegation zone.

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The rise of Declan Rice, though, has been one of the few positives for the Hammers in recent years, and the increase in his market value shows just how far he has come.

In October 2017, less than three years ago, he was worth £450,000, as per Transfermarkt - that number now stands at £49.5m, which ranks him in the top 10 holding midfielders on the planet.

Here are three reasons behind that considerable surge...

2018/19 season

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Whilst Rice made his debut during the 2016/17 season, and had already started 15 Premier League matches by the start of the 2018/19 campaign, it was the latter term during which he established himself as a potential future star - beforehand, he had made most of his appearances at centre-back.

He would start all but four matches in defensive midfield that season, and he proved to be a rock on whom Manuel Pellegrini could rely. He averaged 2.9 tackles, 1.5 interceptions and gave away just 0.5 fouls per match as the Irons finished in 10th place in the Premier League.

His displays put him on the map.

First England cap

Soccer Football - Euro 2020 Qualifier - Group A - England v Czech Republic - Wembley Stadium, London, Britain - March 22, 2019  England's Declan Rice celebrates after the match  REUTERS/David Klein

The 21-year-old had the opportunity to play for both the Republic of Ireland and England, and at one point it looked as though he would represent the former - he had played for them regularly at youth level and had also picked up three caps for the senior side before the Three Lions arrived on the scene.

All of those previous appearances came in friendlies, giving him the chance to change allegiances and, after much deliberation, he decided to play for the country of his birth.

He made his debut for England against the Czech Republic last March, and he has picked up six more caps since then.

Manchester United and Chelsea interest

The midfielder was on the books of Chelsea as a child - Mason Mount, who has burst onto the scene at Stamford Bridge this term, is his best friend - and it seems that the Blues would quite like to take him back to south-west London.

According to Sky Sports, he is on their wishlist for next season.

Manchester United, too, have been linked with a move, although he could set them back £80m according to Goal.com. Whether he moves to either of those remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain - the future looks bright for the youngster.