Declan Rice says that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was the primary reason he joined the club in a £105m transfer from West Ham United.
The England midfielder became the Gunners’ club record signing this past summer as they aim to improve on last season and win the Premier League title that they were denied by Manchester City.
City were the other club to submit a transfer bid for Declan Rice, who has been linked with Manchester United and a return to Chelsea, his first club, over the past few years.
When asked by Channel 4 pundit Joe Cole why he chose Arsenal over other clubs, Rice said: “I have to say the manager, Mikel.
“I think from the moment that I met him I knew he was the one that I wanted to take care of the next part of my career. Just the way he spoke, his aura, the way he sees the game, the way he wants to play football.
“I think you’ve seen Arsenal, the last two years the way they have played as a team, I could really see myself fitting in and so far that decision has paid off. I feel really at home, I always had that gut feeling that Arsenal would be the club from the moment I walked in up until now.”
When pressed by Cole what is the difference between playing at Arsenal and West Ham, Rice answered diplomatically.
“At Arsenal, you see the season they had last year and the individuals they have, probably more national team players, I would say the biggest difference is in terms of how I have to play – you know, much more advanced, much more forward thinking,” he said.
Watch the interview in full here:
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