by It’s a story that retells mainly because it will make people smile. Early last week, the England squad assembled at St George’s Park for Wembley friendlies against Brazil and Belgium, and Declan Rice meets John Stones. So Arsenal versus Manchester City and, as everyone knows, it’s Arsenal versus Manchester City after the international break – at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday. Well, not everyone, as it turns out.
“I said: ‘Next big game,'” Rice says. “And Seán said: ‘Who are you playing?’ And I said: ‘We have enough for you!’ He said: ‘Oh yes.’ He didn’t even know they were playing next! When he’s away from football he likes to be with his family and he’s switched off and I get that. He likes to take it one game at a time.”
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Rice goes on to mention another member of City’s England squad – Kyle Walker, who damaged his side in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Brazil and is out of the Belgium game on Tuesday night. Walker must be rated as a doubt for Arsenal.
“With Walks, he’s always a bit of a tease, he’s a great kid but deep down, we know it’s going to be a big game, someone who could be a title decider,” Rice says. “It will be very difficult but if you want to get past that barrier of Arsenal being labeled as things, you have to go there and win.
“We need to show that grit and character to prove we can be one of the best teams. There is no doubt that City are the best team in the world at the moment but we are confident that we can get a result.”
The first thing to say about Rice is that he is the polar opposite of Stones, always moving on to football, small details or big picture; the lottery. And the above conversation is from a much wider one, in which Rice reflects on his meteoric rise and looks ahead to the Belgium game when he will captain his country for the first time on the occasion of his 50th cap – without only 25 years old – a lot. him in microcosm. The humor, the ease of company. The self-belief, ferocity to drive.
Five years ago, Gareth Southgate gave Rice his England debut in the Euro 2020 qualifier against the Czech Republic at Wembley, coming on from the bench for Dele Alli in a 5-0 win. The then West Ham player was destined for the top and things have accelerated since his £106m move to Arsenal last summer.
Last time out, he led West Ham to glory in the Europa League. Now he has set his sights on the Premier League title, the Champions League, too. And then the European Championship. With England, he is one of the leaders of the team. Now, with Harry Kane, Jordan Henderson, Walker, Harry Maguire and Kieran Trippier injured, he will be the leader.
Rice will become the fifth fastest England player to 50 caps – after Raheem Sterling, Michael Owen, Wayne Rooney and Marcus Rashford – and has been reminded that he is close to surpassing Sir Geoff Hurst’s 49 caps.
“A hat-trick in a World Cup final … an absolute legend of the game,” says Rice. “The other night, we looked at the caps and the people I’ve beaten before. It still doesn’t feel real. As for me, I am not yet at Christmas, but an ordinary man.
“Gareth came up to me on Sunday night and talked to me about being captain. It was actually a funny site. The team was playing this card game called ‘Wolf’ and I was just watching. I was kind of awkward staring at Gareth. I was just speechless. I stood up, shook his hand, gave him a hug and said: ‘Thank you very much'”
Rice talks about the captains who influenced him, starting with Mark Noble at West Ham; Kane and Henderson at England level. “Martin Ødegaard is in my club,” he continues. “I’m not thinking about it but if anything happens to him, I’d love to put the armband on Arsenal. I love being in charge and being the captain. It’s a real honor.”
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Rice ponders his speech before leading the team out against Belgium “That’s the worst part!” He says. “H [Kane] always speaks, then the other night [against Brazil] It was walks. Tripps, when he was captain before, he made a funny speech and messed it up and everyone started laughing, so I know I’m going to have a little bit of pressure. I’ll keep it short and sweet. I have learned a lot from Hendo in that sense – send a few messages. We have to start fast and we have to win the game.”
It hasn’t been all smooth sailing since Rice joined Arsenal. He struggled, for example, on the club’s pre-season tour of the United States, playing poorly in one of the friendlies against Manchester United. The demands were new. “It was another level of training, intensity,” he says. “I felt like I was a misfit. I was not. It was just a completely different training regime.”
Rice did what he always did. He asked management questions, studied more and more video clips, dug deep. He says he has learned so much, absorbing fresh information about his preferred No 6 role, where Southgate uses it, and also how to play as a No 8. His midfield colleague Jorginho has been a huge influence.
“Emile Smith Rowe and I were talking and he said: ‘I’m going to start calling Jorginho Tom Brady because his death is really blown,'” says Rice.
Slowly but surely, Rice has built momentum, confidence. A significant moment is emerging.
