“I like him because he is a team player” - Patrick Vieira says Arsenal star ‘sacrifices himself’ for Mikel Arteta’s side

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira admires the shift that midfielder Declan Rice puts in for Mikel Arteta's side. He highlighted how the Englishman would sacrifice himself on the pitch for his teammates and work extremely hard.

Speaking in a video on Arsenal's official website, Vieira explained why he held the former West Ham United star in high regard. He also talked about how Rice does all the dirty work for the team and said:

“I like him because he is a team player, and I think when you play in that position you have to be the one who sacrifices yourself for the team. You have to win the ball, and you have to give it to the players who can make the difference, and it is a really difficult position, because you work hard for the team but you may not get a lot of credit like the guys who score those goals."

“When you’re looking at the Arsenal from last year, and I hope this year again, he will be an important key for the team, because he will do all the dirty work, who will make the other ones look good, and to allow the ones to make a difference in the last 30 yards. He is one of my favourite players in the Premier League, because he sacrifices himself, he works hard for the team, and he is a team player,” he added.

Declan Rice joined Arsenal in the 2023 summer window despite interest from Manchester City and Bayern Munich. West Ham United reportedly turned down a £90 million bid from the Premier League champions before they accepted a £105 million offer from the Gunners.

Declan Rice praised by Mikel Arteta for raising standards at Arsenal

Mikel Arteta talked about how Declan Rice's arrival at the Emirates had helped improve the overall quality of the side. He said in June earlier this year (via The Guardian):

"We thought it was going to be very related to the spaces he was going to occupy on the pitch but it’s something else to then do it in this league. He’s done it – even when we’ve changed him from position to position … it’s not easy to adapt to that."

Talking about Havertz and Raya, he added:

“Kai was unbelievable. Everything he did – the timings, the movements, how he keeps the ball, the way he goes to the press, how he links play, his understanding of the game. We’re also really pleased with David. It’s a huge success for the team to achieve that [the Golden Glove] with a few games to go still. It gives us a huge foundation to be closer to winning trophies.”

Arsenal have not laid hands on silverware since winning the FA Cup in 2020. They have finished second in the Premier League over the last two seasons.