Brentford Star Names Arsenal Midfielder As The Best He’s Played Against

By The Editor
on 11th September 2024

Josh Dasilva rates Declan Rice highly…

Former Arsenal midfielder Josh Dasilva has named Declan Rice as the best player he’s ever faced after establishing himself as a Premier League player at Brentford, he told Rising Ballers.

Dasilva came through the ranks at Arsenal and was in the same age group as the likes of Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, making three appearances for the first team.

Those games came in the Carabao Cup in Arsene Wenger’s final season in charge – the Frenchman infamously used that cup competition to promote academy players.

A number of players in the past made a successful career – whether at Arsenal or elsewhere – from Wenger giving them a consistent runout in the League Cup.

Now one of Thomas Frank’s trusted lieutenants at the West London club, Dasilva has expressed what it feels like to come up against the Premier League’s top midfielders.

“Declan Rice probably the best player I’ve played against,” Dasilva was quoted as saying.

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“His size, strong, fast, left foot, right foot, can shoot, can pass, can run, read the game.”

By his standard, the former West Ham skipper has started the season slightly sluggishly and must now serve a suspension for his ludicrous sending-off against Brighton.

Rice looks like the type of player that needs a few weeks to get up to speed following a summer break and the 25-year-old certainly looked sharp for England’s Nations League games.

While he’ll have to watch the north London derby from the sidelines, it’s comforting to know we’ll have the Rice we’ve become accustomed to back in the squad for our opening Champions League game.