Declan Rice

Declan Rice is a combative and technically gifted defensive midfielder who captained West Ham United before joining Arsenal for £100 million in 2023, one of the largest fees ever paid for an English player. Considered one of the best midfielders in the world, he brings stamina, tackling and ball-carrying to both club and country.

Rice progressed through Chelsea's academy before joining West Ham United as a teenager. He developed steadily and became club captain in 2022, leading the Hammers to the UEFA Europa Conference League title in 2022–23, a feat that earned him UEFA's Player of the Season award for the competition. Arsenal signed him that summer for £100 million, making him the joint-most-expensive English footballer in history at the time.

At Arsenal he has continued to excel, winning the Premier League in 2025–26 and earning further individual recognition. For England he has accrued 73 caps and 7 goals, featuring in the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle and both Euro 2020 and Euro 2024 finals campaigns, reaching the runner-up position both times.