Craig Page-Lee

🚨Thierry Henry on Declan Rice: “Sometimes, I watch Declan Rice play for Arsenal, and I genuinely wonder what people expect this man to do before they finally give him the respect he deserves. “Do you want him to win the ball, carry it forward, break the opposition's press, create chances, score goals, deliver set pieces, protect the defence, motivate his teammates and still be the first person running back when Arsenal lose possession? “Because if that is what you want from one midfielder, then I have a question for you: what exactly are the other ten players on the pitch being paid to do? “Declan Rice has reached a point where people have become so accustomed to his excellence that they no longer appreciate it. When he wins the ball, they say he is only doing his job. When he drives Arsenal forward, they say he should be doing more. When he scores, they ask whether he can do it consistently. And when he delivers a performance that wins Arsenal a big game, suddenly somebody wants to explain why another midfielder is still better than him. “I played with some incredible footballers during my career, and I understand that every player has a different responsibility. But one thing I have learned about football is that the best players are often the ones who make everybody around them better. Declan Rice does that for Arsenal. “And the funny thing is, if he played for Manchester City, Liverpool or Real Madrid, some of the same people questioning his quality would be making compilation videos, discussing his market value and explaining why their club should sign him. “But because he plays for Arsenal, we have to turn every compliment into a debate. “Let me make something clear: you do not have to call Declan Rice the best midfielder in the world. Football is about opinions. You can prefer Rodri, Pedri, Vitinha or whoever you like. That is perfectly fine. “But if you watch Declan Rice week after week and still cannot recognise how complete, influential and important he has become, perhaps the problem is not Declan Rice. Perhaps you have already decided what you want to believe about him. “And that is the problem with football today. People would rather win an argument about a player than appreciate what the player actually brings to the game. “My advice? Keep watching Declan Rice. One day, you might finally understand why Arsenal are so reluctant to play without him.”