BREAKING NEWS: Arsenal star informed he has “much to do” to reach the level of Manchester City icon.
Declan Rice has considerable work ahead to match Manchester City rival Rodri’s level, according to his former manager, David Moyes.
The England international joined Arsenal from West Ham last summer for a record £105 million fee and has impressed with his performances in central midfield.
Despite this, Arsenal could not surpass City for the Premier League title, and Rice faced further disappointment when England lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain, where Rodri played a pivotal role.
Rice and Rodri are widely regarded as two of the best defensive midfielders globally. However, Moyes asserts that while Rice has the potential to reach the heights of the City and Spain star, he has not yet achieved that level.
“I think Declan Rice still has a lot to do to be at Rodri’s level. Rodri is immense at the moment,” the former West Ham manager told William Hill.
Moyes continued, “Declan has the capabilities to get there, and we mustn’t forget that he’s still youthful. He grew into his leadership role at West Ham. I used to challenge him and provoke him; he didn’t like it, but it helped me get a bit extra out of him.
“Many doubted he was worth the £100 million Arsenal paid, but I believed—and people laughed at me—that he was worth £150 million.
“When you consider other players who have joined Premier League teams for similar fees, I think he has proven to be worth even more.”
Rice’s reputation suffered during the Euros after several underwhelming performances, in contrast to Rodri, now a leading Ballon d’Or contender after being named the tournament’s best player.
“People said Declan Rice didn’t perform well in the Euros, and I’d agree with that,” Moyes added.
“However, not many England players excelled in that tournament. For so many good players to underperform shows it wasn’t just due to one individual’s poor play.
“Declan Rice was adept at handling criticism. When I made him captain, I told him he would have to take a few hits at times. He learned a lot from Mark Noble, one of the old-school characters in the squad.
“Initially, leadership wasn’t in his psyche, but he grew into it. He became more of a leader, and I think he’ll go on to be England’s captain.”
Due to his participation in the Euros, Rice missed Arsenal’s pre-season tour of the USA but will join the team soon, with friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon ahead.
The Gunners will start their 2024/25 season against Wolves at the Emirates on August 17.