Declan Rice says there’s someone at Arsenal he could spend ‘all day’ speaking about

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Declan Rice is undoubtedly one of Arsenal’s most important players these days.

Rice has been discussed as a Player of the Year contender after his performances for the Gunners this season, and he’s played a massive part in taking Mikel Arteta’s side to the top of the Premier League table.

Speaking to TalkSPORT, Rice has been discussing his fantastic form as of late, and he’s pinned his success down to the job Mikel Arteta has done with him.

If you could sign one midfielder from any club in the world to join Arsenal as a backup for Declan Rice, who would it be and why?

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Rice says that Arteta has improved him in almost every way imaginable, stating that he could spend all day speaking about his manager and how he has helped him.

Declan Rice says he could speak about Mikel Arteta all day

Rice discussed his manager and how he’s helped him at Arsenal.

The midfielder says the main thing that Arteta has done is teach him to be smarter tactically.

Nowadays, Rice says he always knows what he’s doing on the pitch, and that allows him, and his teammates, to showcase their individual talents more and more.

“Honestly, I could be here all day. Well, the whole process of it started three seasons ago when I first joined,” Rice said when asked to discuss Arteta.

“Every year since then, he’s evolved me as a player. You know, I’ve played in different positions. I’ve played as a lone six, double six, high eight, moved across as a 10. But I would say mostly how I’ve improved is because of my tactical aspects of my own brain.

“Like just understanding things, in-game scenarios and being able to deal with that myself instead of having to ask him what’s going on.

“I know what’s happening because you know he’s coached that into us and I think that’s one of the biggest things that he’s done to all of us is that he’s installed something in us where we can go out on a football pitch and just play football and try and win because tactically we know everything we have to do and it’s down to us to have the quality to go out there and win the matches and this season we’ve done that well so far so we got to keep it going.”

Mikel Arteta has unlocked Declan Rice positionally

Rice notes how he’s played in numerous different positions at Arsenal under Mikel Arteta, and that’s perhaps why he’s improved so much.

Indeed, before joining Arsenal, Rice was a much more defensive-minded player, but now, he has more license to roam forward, get goals and make things happen in the final third.

David Moyes thought Rice was best as a number six, but that view has certainly been proven wrong.

“Declan was such a great lad to have and could cover the ground in his recovery speed, his ability. But I have to say, and I’ve said it, he has improved in a lot of ways,” Moyes said.

“I think he wanted to prove to everybody how good he could be at the other side [attacking] as well.

“I think he’s better as a six.”

Moyes helped turn Rice into a £100m player at West Ham, but make no mistake about it, Mikel Arteta has turned this young man into one of the world’s best footballers.