Declan Rice has revealed the main reason why he agreed to sign for Premier League outfit Arsenal from West Ham United on Saturday.
After the Hammers had officially confirmed they had reached an agreement for their lead captain to move to the Gunners for a British record transfer fee, the Emirates outfit followed the news with an official communication confirming the England star had signed a long-term contract.
“England international Declan Rice has joined us from West Ham United on a long-term contract,” read a statement on Arsenal’s official website.
Read Also: Done Deal: West Ham United confirm Arsenal agreement to sign Rice
The 24-year-old Rice, who has vast experience having made 245 senior appearances for the Hammers as well as winning 43 caps for the Three Lions, has come out to reveal how the influence of manager Mikel Arteta made him settle for the Gunners despite champions Manchester City also eying for his services.
“I’m so excited – he speaks for himself. You see how he works – you got a real insight into how he works on the Amazon documentary, how he works with his players and not only as a coach but psychologically how good he is with players, how he improves players. He’s a massive factor in the reason why I’ve come here,” Rice said, adding: “I know he’s 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.”
On why he made the move, Rice said: “I’ve been looking at Arsenal over the last couple of seasons and the trajectory they’ve been going on. Not last season but the season before, they finished fifth but you could see the style of play Mikel was implementing.
“Last season was an outstanding season, blowing pretty much every team out of the water with the exception of Man City. With Mikel and how he works, the squad, how young everyone is, the energy around the club, and also the challenge of getting Arsenal back to where they belong, that means a lot to me. I know the fans really want that.
“For me as a player, I’ve come here really hungry to have more success and to spend my best years at this great club.”
Rice started his youth career at Chelsea, before joining the West Ham academy in 2014, and signed his first professional contract a year later. On the final day of the 2016-17 season, an 18-year-old Rice made his senior debut and soon became an integral part of their first-team squad for the following six seasons.
He was named club captain in May 2022 and went on to lead the Hammers to the Europa Conference League title in June, and was named the tournament’s Player of the Season by Uefa. A regular with the England national team, he featured at both Euro 2020 and the 2022 Fifa World Cup.