What Declan Rice is doing behind the scenes at Arsenal to continually improve

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Arsenal landed a diamond when they beat Manchester City to the signing of Declan Rice this summer.

The England midfielder was Mikel Arteta’s first-choice signing, and Arsenal parted with a club-record fee to bring him in from tomorrow’s opponents West Ham.

Rice settled instantly, and has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season, both at the base of midfield and in a more advanced role.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola were very keen on signing him this summer, but Rice chose Arsenal and Arteta, and previously explained that his decision was motivated by the Spaniard’s tactical plans for him.

It has now emerged that Rice is going the extra mile behind the scenes to further aid his development in midfield, and with the 24-year-old delivering a masterclass in midfield against Liverpool last week, his work is clearly paying off.

How Rice is going the extra mile to improve his performances

A report from The Standard has now revealed that Rice is taking full advantage of the ‘open door’ policy being implemented by Arsenal coaches.

“Arsenal’s coaching staff have an open-door policy, and players are encouraged to speak to them whenever they like. Rice has repeatedly taken analysts and coaches up on that offer, such is his hunger to learn and improve,” the report stated.

Rice’s leadership qualities saw him become West Ham captain following the retirement of their club legend Mark Noble, and he led his side to unexpected glory in the Europa Conference League in his final game before his move.

Which position will Declan Rice play in?

Rice has played as a number six at the base of midfield, as well as in a more advanced role in a midfield three.

Sunday’s victory over Liverpool saw him play alongside Jorginho in a double-pivot, and this saw both players dominate the middle of the park.

Arteta’s ideal midfield has only lined up once this season, as Thomas Partey, Rice and Martin Odegaard started together in the Community Shield. Partey’s injury problems have prevented this from happening again, but Jorginho has proven to be an excellent replacement.

Arsenal are keen on signing Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad in the summer, and this could be ideal for Rice, as the Spaniard is also a player capable of controlling the game from deep and pushing further forward, perhaps leading to a situation where both players can interchange positions.