Theo Walcott has been so impressed by Declan Rice’s leadership at Arsenal after what he noticed during the team’s 2-1 win over Wolves.
Mikel Arteta’s team just about scraped past the Premier League’s bottom-placed team, with two own goals required to secure the points.
Change my mind: Declan Rice should be Arsenal captain from the 2026/27 season.
Bukayo Saka carried Arsenal to a win as the winger proved a real threat to Wolves, whilst many of his teammates struggled to have an impact.
Rice had a rather quiet game by his standards against Rob Edwards’ team, but he assumed another role which proved equally important in the end, according to Walcott.
Theo Walcott calls Declan Rice Arsenal’s ‘captain without the armband’
Theo Walcott believes that Declan Rice is Arsenal’s ‘captain without the armband’ after he was spotted lifting the team after Wolves’ equaliser.
Following the late defeat to Aston Villa, Arsenal’s players collapsed to the floor; however, this time around, the team were ready to go again.
Even Thierry Henry told Rice he did not like Arsenal’s reaction at Villa Park, so this time around, things were different as the midfielder lifted the team to go again.
Speaking about the game, Walcott told The Overlap US: “When they lost to Villa, they all sank to the floor, didn’t they? And it was like a minute, they just lost the game.
“Okay, it was quite even, but they didn’t do that this time. It was a bit different, to be fair. They were definitely hurt. You could tell that.
“But, you see, Declan Rice, he kind of just grabs hold of everyone, and that’s what I’m saying about him being a leader and a captain without the armband, just to think we have time, guys.”
Even after Arsenal scored the winner, Rice did not look happy and was giving out instructions to his teammates following the celebrations.
This season, Rice is becoming one of the world’s best midfielders, but his importance to the North London club now runs deeper than just his brilliance as a player.
Mikel Arteta should consider making Declan Rice Arsenal’s captain
Arteta should certainly be considering making Rice Arsenal’s captain at some stage, with fans still questioning Martin Odegaard’s leadership.
Is Declan Rice the best midfielder in the world right now? If not, who is?
It’s worth noting that players lead in different ways, but it’s clear that Rice has arguably the biggest influence in the Gunners’ dressing room.
Saka has spoken about Rice’s voice in the dressing room, and now he is even showing great leadership on the pitch too.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
