Declan Rice now explains the difference between his role at Arsenal and West Ham

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Declan Rice has been excellent since joining Arsenal for a club-record fee from West Ham this summer, and required no adaptation time at all.

Rice arrived as West Ham’s captain, having led David Moyes’ side to Conference League glory before choosing Arsenal over Manchester City.

He has thrived since day one in North London, and has played both at the base of midfield and further forward, with Arsenal losing just one Premier League game since his arrival.

He has now spoken about the differences between Moyes and Mikel Arteta, and how his role has changed since joining Arsenal.

Declan Rice compares Arsenal role to West Ham

Speaking ahead of England’s game against North Macedonia, Rice explained why his midfield roles at Arsenal are different to what he did at West Ham.

“You never want to stay stale. At Arsenal I’m playing in a slightly different role. There’s a lot of talk over whether I can play higher up the pitch,” he stated.

“At West Ham when I was more box‑to‑box, [David] Moyes used to say: ‘Roam, do what you need to do to get on the ball.’

“At Arsenal, it’s more structured and you’ve got to be more patient. We see a lot more of the ball so it’s about being more progressive. I had predominantly played in a side that was really good at counterattacking so I had to make a change.”

Can Rice thrive in a more advanced role for Arsenal?

It speaks volumes about Rice’s quality that he has adapted so quickly despite his admissions that he has had to change his style.

Rice began the season at the base of midfield, but Kai Havertz’s struggles in trying to replace Granit Xhaka have meant that the England star has had to play further forward.

Injuries to Thomas Partey have not helped, but Jorginho has played well in recent weeks alongside Rice.

Rice’s incredible strength on the ball makes him useful in driving forward into attacking areas, meaning that he may even be better suited to a more advanced role which would not restrict his dribbling ability.

Although these have not been regular, Rice has chipped in with crucial goals against Manchester United and Chelsea, and the next step for him would be increasing his creative output should he wish to continue playing further forward.

Arsenal look set to sign a defensive midfielder to replace Partey, and this could free Rice up further to express himself in attacking zones.