Declan Rice: I’m Still Building My Match Fitness

By The Editor
on 8th September 2024

Declan Rice admits he hasn’t been fit…

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has admitted that he’s still in the process of building up to match fitness given the lack of pre-season preparation, he told Sky Sports News.

Rice, who’s been visibly off the pace during our first three Premier League games, produced a display fitting of his reputation against the Republic of Ireland in England’s Nations League victory.

The 25-year-old played in a traditional box-to-box midfield role and opened the scoring for the visitors after arriving late into the penalty area.

Another surging run in the first half doubled England’s advantage during Lee Carsely’s first game in charge as Manchester City’s Jack Grealish tucked home Rice’s cut-back.

Rice played the full 90 minutes and while Arsenal fans were watching the game through their fingers as we hoped he and Saka to come through unscathed, the former West Ham skipper felt those minutes were needed.

“To be honest with you, I’ve not been feeling 100% fit so far,” Rice said after England’s win at Aviva Stadium.

“I’ve kind of been doing my pre-season in the Premier League, but today I feel like I took a real step, I could feel it within myself, I was feeling back to myself.

“Feeling springy, feeling like I could run around the pitch, feeling more powerful, so on a personal note it was really good to get that game in today and play 90 because I feel like I took another step which is obviously going to help me at Arsenal.”

Rice’s ludicrous sending-off against Brighton means we’ll have to wait until our opening Champions League game against Atalanta before we can see this rejuvenated version of the midfielder in an Arsenal shirt.

The discussions among fans have been centred around Rice’s position as the reason behind his lacklustre displays and have even gone to the lengths of calling for Martin Odegaard to be displaced.

Sometimes the issues aren’t that deep. Rice has been unfit and is now feeling close to 100%.