“Mikel Arteta’s 2014 Prediction: How Watching an Arsenal Teammate Foretold Declan Rice’s Role Change”
“Mikel Arteta’s 2014 Prediction: How Watching an Arsenal Teammate Foretold Declan Rice’s Role Change”
Declan Rice has thrived in two different midfield roles for Arsenal and England since his club record arrival last summer.
Rice initially started as a number six at the base of midfield after his move from West Ham, but Mikel Arteta unlocked the true potential of his attack when he shifted to a more advanced role in the second half of the season.
Jorginho came into the side, with the Englishman pushing to a box-to-box role, and Rice recorded his best-ever season in terms of goal and assist output.
Arteta spotted both the potential for Rice to score more, as well as the need for his side to spread goals around the side. Whilst Kai Havertz performed well, there is a lack of a world-class goalscorer in the mould of Erling Haaland in the side.
Arteta’s Arsenal faced a similar issue when he was club captain in 2014. Olivier Giroud led the line well, but he was not a truly elite goalscorer like Robin van Persie, and Arsene Wenger had to spread the goals around his team, which he did with the help of Aaron Ramsey.
How Aaron Ramsey evolved into goalscoring midfielder at Arsenal
Ramsey was a much-criticised midfielder in one brutal period in his younger days at Arsenal, but he enjoyed a sudden explosion as he moved into a box-to-box role.
The Welshman was outstanding in 2013-14, scoring 10 and assisting eight times in just 23 Premier League appearances, and he had transformed himself into a two-way midfielder who would arrive late into the box and get on the scoresheet.
Arteta watched Ramsey suddenly evolve into a top-class player in his role, and he went on to score the winner in two FA Cup finals. This may have prompted him to change Rice’s role last season.
Mikel Arteta inspired by Aaron Ramsey to change Declan Rice Arsenal role
Arteta’s comments on Ramsey at the time draw remarkable parallels with how Rice’s role at Arsenal evolved.
“Aaron’s on fire,” Arteta stated of his teammate in 2014.
“A player like this coming from midfield to score that many goals gives you something extra.
“He reminds me a bit of Fàbregas when he was here. At his best, Fàbregas was coming off the front, making the final ball and scoring very important goals.
“He showed great character as people used to be against him. The manager backed him big time. We don’t have someone to score 30 or 40 goals, so players who can score from the middle is very important.”
Rice found himself in a similar situation to Ramsey, where the whole team had to chip in with goals, and he was then allowed to copy his role.
This led to Rice scoring seven, and assisting nine times in the Premier League last season, and he developed into a leader who would step up with goals in big moments, like Ramsey did at his best.
