Declan Rice was again man of the match as Arsenal beat Real Madrid at the Bernabéu on Wednesday to reach their first Champions League semi-final since 2009.
After another commanding display, the English midfielder said his team will achieve “special things” in the next few years with “unbelievable” manager Mikel Arteta.
Rice was ever present in defence and attack as the Gunners won 1-2 to set up the match against Paris Saint Germain in the last four of the competition.
It came just over a week after his two free-kick goals got half of the job done over the Champions League’s defending champions – with Arsenal winning the first leg 3-0 at the Emirates.
With two man-of-the-match displays in Europe in a row, Rice is now a living legend in the red part of north London and continues to impress for his national team.
His success is a testament to his self belief and work ethic that has been with him through a career that has not always been plain sailing.
Here is Declan Rice’s story so far.
Declan Rice’s upbringing
“There are pictures of me at home in the garden with snow and rain coming down, wearing a nappy and pelting the ball as soon as I could walk at two years old,” Declan Rice has said.
“I just always had a ball to hand or foot, whether it was a tennis ball, a basketball or a football, I was always picking it up and smashing it, so I think my parents knew from that point what I wanted to do.”
Rice is the youngest of three brothers and credits them as well as his parents for crafting an early love for the beautiful game.
“When I was six or seven, I’d be going to play with them at five-a-side and I remember dribbling around all their mates who couldn’t believe it, for a young kid to be doing that to them,” he said to the FA in an interview.
As a youngster, Rice signed for Chelsea’s academy but didn’t make the cut and, aged 14, he transferred to the development squad at West Ham United.
It was there that his talent was spotted and he was called up to the Hammers’ senior team in December 2015, when he was just 16 years old. In the following seasons, he established himself as a starting defensive midfielder and became club captain in 2022.
Becoming a full England international aged 20, he became one of the country’s most sought-after talents and signed for Arsenal for a club record £105m in 2023. His last act at West Ham was winning the Uefa Conference League.
Who is Declan Rice’s girlfriend?
He has changed clubs (and even national teams) but Declan Rice has always been with one woman – his high school sweetheart, Lauren Fryer.
The pair met aged 17 when they were both at school and have been together ever since, Fryer giving birth to their son Jude (who is unlikely to be named after Rice’s England teammate and Real Madrid midfielder Bellingham) in August 2022.
Fryer has been the target of cruel online abuse about her appearance and, as of 2023, has deleted all of the content from her Instagram page. Rice has also removed all images of her from his own profile and they have not shared imagery of Jude.
Why did Declan Rice play for Ireland before England?
Rice was born in the very English borough of Kingston upon Thames in 1999 and grew up in the south-west London area. He has never lived outside of London but can trace his ancestry back to Cork in Ireland, courtesy of his paternal grandparents.
He played in Ireland’s youth teams growing up and made three senior appearances but these were all in friendlies which mean that, aged 19, he was able to still play for England.
After mulling this over, Rice ultimately chose to play for England – joining his countryman and Irish youth graduate Jack Grealish.
Rice said in 2019: “I am a proud Englishman, having been born and raised in London. However, I am just as proud of my family’s Irish heritage and my affinity and connection with the country. I have equal respect and love for both England and Ireland and therefore the national team I choose to represent is not a clear-cut, simple selection. Particularly not for a young lad who never dreamed of being in this position.
“Ultimately, it is a personal decision that I have made with my heart and my head, based on what I believe is best for my future. I fully accept that some Irish supporters will be disappointed by my decision, and that everyone has different opinions in regard to the rules around international representation. However, I hope that people can understand that I have made this decision with honesty, integrity and the full support of my family.”
Who are Declan Rice’s best friends in football?
Rice is not just loyal to his girlfriend but also his friends – and another relationship that goes way back is his bromance with Mason Mount.
The pair have been besties since their days in Chelsea’s academy and have remained friends despite Mount staying on as Rice moved to West Ham.
The pair caused a little controversy by sneaking out for a kickaround during lockdown.
Rice said that he is so close to Mount that Fryer has even stated that she is jealous of the pair.
Declan Rice factfile
All data correct as of April 17
- Age: 26
- Born: Kingston, London, January 14, 1999
- Arsenal squad number: 41
- Caps for Ireland: 3
- Caps for England: 64
- Goals for Arsenal: 14
- Goals for England: 5
- Partner: Lauren Fryer
- Children: One, Jude, born in 2022
"My missus is quite worried. I'm genuinely being serious. She's quite worried," Rice told The Sun.
"Oh, she's just always, 'You two, you love him more than you love me.’ Honestly. We just get it in the neck all the time. But they need to understand the friendship."
Aston Villa defender Finley Munroe is Rice’s cousin.
What next for Rice?
Rice is now 26 and reaching his physical peak.
Having been a full England international since 2019, he is now a senior member of the side, with 64 caps. His box-to-box performances for Arsenal have led to talk that he could be the national side’s next captain after Harry Kane, 31, decides to hang up his boots.
Wearing the armband is not new to Rice, having already had the honour last year for games against Belgium last year.
A more immediate ambition will be winning his first silverware with Arsenal, having penned a five-year contract in 2023, which ties him to the north London giants until summer 2028.
Reacting on the pitch after the victory over Real, Rice said: “I just think it’s such a special night for this club, a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition. We want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”
