Declan Rice says two Arsenal players have completely changed this season

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Declan Rice has been at Arsenal for over two years now.

The England international joined the Gunners for a club-record fee in the summer of 2023, and he has been sensational under Mikel Arteta.

The former West Ham star hasn’t just been an exceptional player on the pitch, but he is also a real leader behind the scenes and a mentor to the younger players.

Rice has now revealed what he has observed from two such Arsenal youngsters.

Declan Rice reveals the change he has noticed in Arsenal duo Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly had their breakthrough seasons at Arsenal in 2024/25.

The former had made his debut a couple of seasons ago, but it was only in the last campaign that he got regular minutes under Arteta.

Lewis-Skelly, on the other hand, was Arsenal’s first-choice left-back for large parts last term and produced remarkable performances in the Premier League and Champions League.

Declan Rice has played with the two 18-year-olds for a while now, but it was only over the summer that he noticed a change in them.

He said on TNT Sports: “Ethan and Myles, the difference from last year to this year, like how they’ve grown as people is incredible.

“Like they’ll speak to anyone now. They’re like loud, they’re themselves, and that’s what you want. You want people to feel comfortable.”

Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly will face difficult periods this season

Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly are the future of Arsenal.

The two Arsenal academy graduates have already shown their quality in the first team, and they will get even better in the coming years.

However, as we have already seen this season, Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri will go through some difficult spells.

The former has mostly played second fiddle to Riccardo Calafiori, while the latter was even left out of the squad for the game against Newcastle because Arsenal have other players in that position.

Not playing much after consistently featuring last season will be tough to take, but this is all part of their development and will benefit them in the long run.