Arsenal star Declan Rice shares ‘special’ comment Mikel Arteta said about him

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Arsenal summer signing Declan Rice has waxed lyrical about Mikel Arteta, describing him as a “really good psychological coach”.

The Gunners newcomer spoke to The Athletic about what he has made of his new surroundings following his move earlier this month.

Arsenal brought an end to a near-enough year-long transfer saga when they signed Rice from West Ham for a reported £105million.

The Gunners got their hands on arguably one of the best midfielders in world football, and certainly one of the best in the Premier League.

‘Everything just felt like the right fit’

Rice has been blown away by Arteta’s management style, so much so that he now feels he’s got a lot to learn in the game.

The 24-year-old acknowledged that being told about the Arsenal manager’s methods and results is one thing, but actually being there is a completely different matter.

“Genuinely, in the last 10 days I have been blown away by how he is constantly thinking football,” said Rice. “How he is so orientated to win.”

Rice then shared his feelings on Arteta describing him as a “lighthouse” in conversation with the press.

“I see him like a lighthouse,” talkSPORT quoted the Spaniard as saying earlier this month.

“That he is willing to put light in others and improve others and make the team better and that is a huge quality.”

In response, Rice told The Athletic: “The other day he said he sees me like a lighthouse. As a player it is really special to hear things like that.

“He is a football coach but he is also a really good psychological coach.

“He makes you want to play for him, he makes you want to do anything for him. Everything just felt like the right fit to be honest.”

Our view

Rome wasn’t built in a day. Arteta has needed a fair bit of time to bring Arsenal back from the doldrums, and it’s not been smooth sailing.

The first few years of his tenure didn’t yield particularly great results for the most part, and there was a lot of criticism of his methods and decisions.

“Trust the process” was used ironically and sarcastically. However, Arteta has played the long game, and he has taken his side back to the top.

To hear a world-class player like Rice speak to highly of Arteta, even suggesting the manager has completely changed his perception of the game, speaks volumes.