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Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has hailed Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice. The former West Ham man has taken to life at the Emirates like a duck to water, propelling the Gunners to the Premier League summit.
Rice, 25, has made a whopping 49 appearances across competitions, contributing seven goals and 10 assists. The UEFA Europa League winner has become one of the first names in Mikel Arteta's XI, highlighting his importance to the club.
Rice scored a late third for the Gunners in their 3-0 home win over Bournemouth at the weekend. Reflecting on the Englishman's impact since arriving at the Emirates last summer, Ferdinand said on FIVE (as per TBR):
“It’s a huge amount of pressure to go with that (price-tag), and then to go and perform the way he has, and he needed to go in there and kind of the way he plays, chest out, give me the ball, dominant figure, and again.
"We talked about Jude Bellingham buying into Real Madrid and then the players and the fans buying into him, on a lesser scale probably, but they have done the same thing to Declan."
Ferdinand concluded:
“The fans loved him immediately. The players you can see really have warmed to him as well, and he is a real integral part of that squad.”
What's next for Arsenal?
Arsenal are in the midst of a superb campaign across competitions. They fell early in both domestic cups but have fared well in the bigger competitions.
The Gunners made their first UEFA Champions League quarterfinal in 14 years, lost 3-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich. Having won their last four league games, Arteta's side are a point clear of second-placed Manchester City in the Premier League, with two games to go.
Next up, the Gunners travel to Manchester United on Sunday (May 12). The reverse fixture at the Emirates earlier this season ended 3-1 in favour of Arteta's side.
