Former Arsenal star Gilberto Silva has now been heavily praising one of Mikel Arteta’s current stars at the club.
Arsenal head into the international break in great mood, buoyed by a win against FC Porto inspired by David Raya’s heroics.
Mikel Arteta was questioned, questioned, and then questioned again when signing Raya to replace Aaron Ramsdale last summer, but that decision no longer begs belief.
Raya has been an improvement on the England international, and has brought a calmness to the way in which Arsenal approach games.
That being said, there was no such division when Arteta decided to spend big on Declan Rice, a player who was always going to be a huge success.
Rice was already one of the best players in the Premier League and he adapted seamlessly in north London.
That being said, Gilberto Silva has now been praising the Arsenal star in an interview with Caught Offside, who he admits has blown him away at times.
Silva recognised a player who was excellent at breaking up play, but more importantly had the passing range to then use the ball well.
Gilberto Silva says Arsenal star Declan Rice is only getting better
Initially speaking about the defensive midfield role as a whole, Silva was amazed at how quickly the Arsenal star had settled.
He shared: “I hear a lot of pundits say the position has changed, but I’m not so sure.
“For me, the principles remain the same. I still view Declan as a holding midfielder who protects the back four and gives support to the guys up front. It’s the same job I was asked to do.”
“What is really important in the position is the passing. It doesn’t matter how many balls you win back if you then just lose possession.
“So you need a vision: to know how you’re going to win the ball then what you are going to do with it.
“Declan does this really well. He never runs back or forward without a plan. And physically he’s a monster, and the scary part is he’s still raising his level.
“I think he’s been amazing for Arsenal. It just feels like he has known the club and its players for a very long time. He’s adapted so fast since joining from West Ham.
“I also believe he can play with either Thomas Partey or Jorginho. I know they play more or less in the same role, but because Rice is adaptable their abilities are complimentary.
An unofficial captain of the club
Martin Odegaard is a fine captain, please don’t get me wrong, but it’s clear that Declan Rice is also leading without the armband.
Gilberto Silva is right to recognise an Arsenal star who really does have everything, as delineated by how versatile he is in the middle.
And it’ll certainly be interesting to see how Arteta plans to strengthen his midfield moving forwards.
That being said, Martin Keown has been praising an ‘outstanding’ midfielder recently linked with Arsenal.
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