Roy Keane hails Arsenal star as ‘one of the top players in the world’ | Football
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane believes Arsenal have ‘one of the top players in the world’ in Declan Rice.
Rice has been a revelation at the Emirates Stadium since his £105m move from West Ham in 2023.
The England midfielder became Arsenal’s record signing and the joint-most expensive English player in history, but his huge fee is rarely talked about such has been his accomplished performances in north London.
Having finished as a runner-up for two successive seasons, Rice is desperate to help Arsenal end their 22-year wait for a Premier League trophy this season.
Mikel Arteta’s side are on course to do just that, opening up a six-point lead over second-placed Manchester City with 17 games remaining.
That healthy lead could have been even bigger after Man City dropped points for the third successive game during the week but Arsenal failed to beat stuttering defending champions Liverpool for the second time this season.
Speaking before that blockbuster clash between the reigning champions and the title favourites, Keane heaped praise on Rice, hailing him as one of the ‘top players’ in world football.
Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!
As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.
Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.
‘He seems a pretty humble guy but he’s also got a bit of confidence about him, you need a little bit of an ego to play for a big club,’ the Manchester United legend said on Sky Sports.
‘You look at his career and he obviously did a brilliant job for West Ham and now at Arsenal he’s surrounded by better players.
‘His role has changed a bit, he’s getting forward a lot more. We always thought he had goals in him because his technique is that good and he’s a smart player.
‘Is he one of the top players in the world now? I do think he is, given what he’s doing at Arsenal and of course with England as well.
‘A lot of plaudits to Declan, I think he’s a top player and makes the players around him better as well.’
While Rice has been immense ever since his £105m move to Arsenal three years ago, he has perhaps gone up a level this term.
Asked if Rice is one of the best midfielder’s in the world after Arsenal’s record victory over Bournemouth, a game in which the ex-West Ham captain scored twice, Gunners boss Arteta said: ‘Yes, for me yes.
‘For me the ones that we have are the best. Declan is constantly adding things to his game. He’s constantly adding things to his role in the team.
‘I don’t see where he can stop because he can still improve in a lot of areas and he wants to improve. He’s such a pivotal player for us.’
Rice has made 131 appearances over the past three seasons and missed just one of Arsenal’s Premier League games so far this term.
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
MORE: Portsmouth vs Arsenal: TV channel, predicted lineup today and team news
MORE: Aston Villa target another former Chelsea star amid Conor Gallagher interest
MORE: Gary Neville names his ‘outstanding candidate’ to become next Manchester United manager
Roy Keane hails Arsenal star as ‘one of the top players in the world’ | Football
#Roy #Keane #hails #Arsenal #star #top #players #world #Football
