Rice praises ‘hungry’ Arsenal team-mates …after sealing £105m switch from West Ham
Declan Rice has backed Mikel Arteta to make him world class after Saturday’s completion of a £105million move to Arsenal that adds intrigue to this season’s Premier League title race.
Rice, who joined his new team-mates to their USA tour yesterday, posted an emotional farewell to West Ham fans before talking up his prospects at the Emirates, with bookmakers moving Arsenal into 6-1 second favourites for the league after Manchester City.
‘I’ve come hungry to spend my best years at this great club,’ said Rice, who has already won 43 caps for England. ‘I know he [Arteta] is going to get the best out of me. I know I’ve got more levels to go up in my game and I feel like he’s the manager to take me to those next levels. I’m really excited to be working with him.
‘What I like is that you can’t be comfortable here, you have to push yourself to the max. It is all about winning. We are looking to get Arsenal back to the big time, back to winning stuff.’
The arrival of Rice, who will keep the same No41 shirt he wore at West Ham, takes Arsenal’s spending this summer to more than £200m, having already bought Kai Havertz from Chelsea and Dutch defender, Justin Timber.
The Gunners finished six points behind City last season but their new recruits will give hope this season that it will not be a procession for Pep Guardiola’s side as they try an unprecedented four in a row.
City were also interested in signing Rice but were unwilling to match West Ham’s asking price and will now play against their midfield target in the Community Shield on August 6.
Earlier Saturday, Rice had thanked West Ham for rescuing his career after he had been released by Chelsea at 14. He said: ‘My days staying at the academy clubhouse in Romford brought back some of the happiest memories of my life.
‘To have followed Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, becoming only the third captain in the club’s history to lift a major trophy [Europa Conference] is something that means so much to me.’ –Mailonline
