Mikel Arteta praised Declan Rice as the club’s ‘lighthouse’, a ‘leader’ who offers ‘clarity and guidance’ to his Arsenal team-mates.
Rice led West Ham to a Europa Conference League triumph in his final season with the club before making the move to north London for £105 million, in a transfer window that saw him pursued by Arteta, as well as Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola.
His start at the Emirates has made him one of the signings of the season despite the hefty transfer fee, and he has already chipped in with four goals from 35 matches.
The 25-year-old is likely to be crucial for Gareth Southgate when he takes England to this summer’s Euro 2024, and Arteta speaking on ‘Moments That Made Me’ for TNT Sports said that he picked Rice as a player he thought would settle into the side.
He said: “We build the right culture and we bring in players that we believe are the right ones for the way we see the club right now, the way we want to play.
“I’m really happy with the squad right now.”
Describing Rice’s role in the club, he praised his ability to lead by example and help his team-mates.
He said: “If I had to describe him with a picture it would be a lighthouse, this is how I see him.
“When I was envisioning the squad, how can I explain him? How can I see him in the team? His pressing, he’s overlooking everything, he’s bringing light and clarity and guidance for everybody.
“That’s his biggest quality. He is a leader, he’s still very young and a lot to you, but he’s got the right foundations to become an incredible player for us.”
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