How Rice 'has transitioned seamlessly to a box-to-box player'
- Published
Declan Rice is widely regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League, but his role for the Gunners now is very different from the one he played in when he arrived at the club.
When Rice signed for Arsenal from West Ham for £105m in 2023, he spent the first six months as a more traditional holding midfielder, before he moved to a box-to-box role following a winter training camp in January 2024.
That change brought an increase in his attacking numbers, helped by him taking set-pieces, and he carried that into last season as the 26-year-old produced a career-best campaign for goal contributions with nine goals and 10 assists.
Rice already has three assists and one goal in his 11 games for Arsenal this season.
Martin Zubimendi is one of the best deep-lying midfielders in Europe and has allowed Rice to continue his move to a fully fledged box-to-box midfielder - but in a slightly different way.
The Spaniard's presence has actually meant Rice taking up a deeper position alongside him, but in a role that allows the Englishman to use his running power to join Arsenal attacks.
He leads the way for the Gunners this season on total ball carries (147), passes played into the box (57) and chances created (level with Bukayo Saka on 13).
A recruitment specialist working in top-level football told BBC Sport: "The attacking role hasn't fazed him. He has grasped it really well and you can tell it's something he's always had.
"He is extremely athletic and a good mover. He has the freedom to create in the attacking area of the pitch. He is excellent in holding. He is such a fluent player and performs with the freedom he has been given.
"A good player with good passing, but can also be gritty and break up play. He is a commanding midfield player.
"He can dictate the tempo of the game. Really good precision in his actions. He has transitioned seamlessly to a box-to-box player."
Rice's touch map at Fulham on Saturday shows his involvement all over the pitch