Arsenal have a lot of star men, and each of them stand out in their own specifically special ways. These are players that just cannot be dropped from any game of significant importance, and midfielder Declan Rice is obviously one of those guys. His impact his felt not just with the Gunners, but also at West Ham United, who have just simply not been the same club since they sold him to North London a couple years ago.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta articulated just how much Rice matters to his side after the weekend win at Everton.
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“Unbelievable,” said Arteta during his post match press conference at Everton. “His all-round play, his leadership on the pitch, the amount of balls that he regained as well that allowed us to run; he has been incredibly consistent this year again, and what a massive player for us he is.”
Manchester United, England and of course, Everton, legend Wayne Rooney also had massive praise for Declan Rice over the past couple days.
While it wasn’t a scintilating win over Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday, but it was a pragmatic one. And it was a game that saw Rice truly put in a midfield maestro kind of performance.
During a segment on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, the program’s namesake said:
“I have to say, Declan Rice is incredible and it was a pleasure watching him [on Saturday]. He was all over the pitch and his decision-making, when to pass it, where to pass it, what foot to pass it to, his detail on his pass, he was absolutely incredible.”
Rooney, who once captained the England National Team, pegged Rice to someday hold that role himself.
“Obviously Harry Kane’s the captain, but he [Rice] is the future captain of England,” said Rooney.
“He’s the one who’s probably waiting for Harry to hang his boots up at some point. Then he’s the right one to take over because just his drive, his personality, everyone seems to love him, who knows him, who’s close to him. He’s irreplaceable for England.”
Rooney sounds right on this one. We’ll see if/when it happens.
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, RG.org and Ratings.org. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes and the Washington Post.