Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice as now been considered in the same breath as David Beckham because of one quality he has in his game.
Declan Rice produced a magnificent performance for Arsenal against his former club, West Ham United, on Sunday afternoon.
Upon his first Premier League return to the London Stadium, following his summer departure, Rice stole the show with a goal and two assists.
His long-range strike in the second half rounded-off the scoring and completed the Hammers’ humiliation as it condemned them to a 6-0 defeat. Out of respect for his former employers, Rice did not celebrate his goal, to the chagrin of former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer.
The way Rice came onto the ball and arced it into the back of the net from range on Sunday was reminiscent of another goal from distance that he scored against Chelsea earlier on this season. On that occasion, as quoted by the club’s official website, Rice admitted that his effort was inspired by the way that David Beckham used to strike the ball.
Beckham, of course, is also remembered as one of the great set-piece takers of his time. Rice has recently taken over set-piece duties at Arsenal, to great effect. Both of his assists against West Ham came from such scenarios. First, William Saliba met with one of the midfielder’s corners, before Gabriel Magalhaes nodded home from a Rice free-kick delivery.
Can Declan Rice be Arsenal’s David Beckham?
Former Tottenham Hotspur winger Andros Townsend has been extremely impressed by Rice’s quality from set-piece situations. Speaking on The Monday Night Club podcast, he said, “I think his delivery is as nice on the eye as, maybe not David Beckham, but as nice on the eye as James Ward Prowse. He seems to get it on the money every time. He seems to get so much whip on the ball.”
Rice might not be at Beckham’s level just yet, but he is not far off. However, there is also another attribute that the pair share.
The ‘X factor’ quality that Rice brings to Mikel Arteta’s squad has recently been noted. The England midfielder has been hailed for his ability to provide heroic interventions on behalf of his team, in what has been described as having “Roy of the Rovers DNA.”
Beckham also had that invaluable, and indefinable, ability to produce something special at the vital moment. His dramatic impact in the 1999 Champions League final, or his iconic free-kick for England against Greece in 2001, are just two legendary examples that are testament to this.
If Rice does indeed share Beckham’s uncanny ability to be the hero of the hour, then he will take Arsenal to heights far beyond those he could fire them to with his set-pieces alone.
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