‘It was weird’: Declan Rice shares what loads of people were telling him before the Man United game

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Declan Rice has revealed that he was hearing the same thing from everyone he spoke to before Arsenal played Manchester United yesterday.

Speaking to BBC sport after the game, Rice said that everyone was telling him he was going to score.

Rice shared that he found it odd that so many of the staff and players were saying the same thing.

Rice said: “What a moment to score. So many people told me that I would score today, staff and players, it was weird.

“I was getting myself into good positions to score, but to finish that one off and get the three points I think you can see the relief, I’m still recovering now.”

And therefore it would seem that Rice got just the encouragement he needed.

Rice has looked close to bagging a goal early in his Arsenal career already and he’ll be pleased to now be off the mark – particularly in that fashion.

It may be a surprise that this was the game for it, though.

Rice was deployed in deeper, holding role against United owing to Thomas Partey being missing through injury for Arsenal.

Everyone at Arsenal was telling Rice he’d score against United

Yesterday also proved just how important Rice’s versatility can be for Mikel Arteta this season.

Rice has already been deployed in much more advanced roles for Arsenal than he performed against United.

But even in a defensive midfield role yesterday Rice was given the licence to go forward owing to Oleksandr Zinchenko inverting into midfield.

Mikel Arteta is building a team full of tactical sophistication, and Rice already looks crucial.

Arsenal’s Rice will of course now go away with the England squad and will have bragging rights when he sees any teammates from Man United.

But more importantly for The Gunners, Rice has departed with another three points early in his Arsenal career.