Declan Rice has revealed his growth as a player under Mikel Arteta’s guidance following his move from West Ham to Arsenal.

Rice shared his impressions of Arteta, the excitement about the club’s ambitions, and the inspiration drawn from the club’s rich history in an extensive interview.

Key points

  • Declan Rice expresses how Arsenal’s manager Mikel Arteta has helped him see the game in a new light and lauds Arteta’s attention to detail.
  • Rice, undaunted by his £105 million price tag, shares his excitement about his move to Arsenal and the club’s focus on winning.
  • The midfielder speaks about drawing inspiration from Arsenal’s successful past and his desire to contribute to the club’s future achievements.

The impact of Mikel Arteta

Arsenal's Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) shakes hands with Arsenal's English midfielder Declan Rice as he leaves the pitch during the pre-season friendly football match for the Emirates Cup final between Arsenal and Monaco at The Emirates Stadium in north London on August 2, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s Spanish manager Mikel Arteta (L) shakes hands with Arsenal’s English midfielder Declan Rice as he leaves the pitch during the pre-season friendly football match for the Emirates Cup final between Arsenal and Monaco at The Emirates Stadium in north London on August 2, 2023. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

Declan Rice has taken no time to acclimatise to Arsenal, praising Mikel Arteta’s coaching techniques.

“In the last four weeks, I’ve grown so much already and learned so much about football that I hadn’t seen before. I’m honestly seeing the game in a completely different way already. Tactically, on the ball, off the ball,” Rice said.

He went on to elaborate how working with Arteta daily had brought new dimensions to his game: “Seeing how he works, how his mind operates, picking up stuff, seeing how he goes into detail on the opposition… is really impressive.”

First impressions and Community Shield success

Arsenal's English midfielder Declan Rice (C) lifts the trophy after Arsenal win the shoot-out after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, in London, August 6, 2023. Arsenal won after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win, following the 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal’s English midfielder Declan Rice (C) lifts the trophy after Arsenal win the shoot-out after the English FA Community Shield football match between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium, in London, August 6, 2023. Arsenal won after a 4-1 penalty shoot-out win, following the 1-1 draw in 90 minutes. (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

The transfer to Arsenal has been monumental for Rice, who has already won his first trophy at the Emirates after beating Manchester City in the Community Shield. Rice explained how his perceptions changed since joining Arsenal.

“Since the Community Shield, I feel I’ve taken a big step; everything is starting to click. The finer details you go into are on another level, and I’ve never seen that before,” he revealed.

On the price tag and future goals

LONDON, ENGLAND - AUGUST 06: Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrate following the team's victory in the penalty shoot out during The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 06: Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrate following the team’s victory in the penalty shoot out during The FA Community Shield match between Manchester City against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium on August 06, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

The £105 million move brought substantial attention, but Rice is resolute about focusing on his performance rather than the price tag.

“You can only do what you can on the pitch and can’t decide the price. People are always going to have opinions of what they value you at,” he explained.

Speaking of the inspiration he draws from Arsenal’s past, Rice stated, “It’s inspiration for me, for all of us here to be able to go in the same category as them by hopefully winning another Premier League or the Champions League.”

A fresh start at Arsenal

WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 19: Declan Rice #41 of Arsenal FC in action during the MLS All-Star Game between Arsenal FC and MLS All-Stars at Audi Field on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 19: Declan Rice #41 of Arsenal FC in action during the MLS All-Star Game between Arsenal FC and MLS All-Stars at Audi Field on July 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

Rice’s eagerness to join Arsenal and work with Arteta has been clear. He spoke about the impressive work ethic instilled within the club and his aspirations:

“From the moment I walked in the door, the thing that shocked me most is how much [winning] is drilled into the club, and the way the manager is drilling it into the players about winning, and not being far off being one of the best teams in the world.”

His enthusiasm for the project at Arsenal shines through: “That’s what excites me and that’s why I came to Arsenal; to win things, to play under Mikel, and play with these players. It’s such an exciting project to join.”

Conclusion

Declan Rice’s integration into the Arsenal setup and his subsequent development under Mikel Arteta mark an exciting phase for the club.

His determination to succeed and the insight he provides into Arteta’s methodology make his addition to the squad an intriguing aspect of Arsenal’s campaign this season.