Declan Rice has now named two of his Arsenal teammates who he considers to be amongst the best players in the world.
Declan Rice is surrounded by quality in the Arsenal dressing room.
The ‘world-class’ label is bandied around an awful lot in football these days, but there are several players on the books at the Emirates Stadium who could arguably be accurately described by that tag, including Rice himself.
There has been plenty of debate this season about whether or not Bukayo Saka deserves to be considered in that most elite bracket of players. Whilst Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes that the 22-year-old winger still has more to prove, iconic former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger already considers Saka to be “world-class.”
Declan Rice names world-class Arsenal teammates
Rice has now revealed that he holds two of his Arsenal teammates in similarly high esteem. As shown in a clip of an interview with the former West Ham United man, shared on the club’s official X page, Rice was asked what it has been like playing in midfield alongside Jorginho and club captain Martin Odegaard.
The 25-year-old then stated, “it’s so good…these players are world-class players…I want to keep building my relationship with them and keep enjoying my football with them.”
What makes Martin Odegaard and Jorginho world-class?
Odegaard has been deemed Arsenal’s most important player this season. The Norwegian playmaker certainly serves a vital function in Mikel Arteta’s side. He is the creative hub for the team, an excellent leader, and takes responsibility on the pitch for organising and triggering the Arsenal press when the Gunners are not in possession.
Odegaard has been one of the most creative players in Europe this season, and deserves this world-class rating. It is now vital that the former Real Madrid man is able stay fit and firing on all cylinders for the remainder of the campaign, as he is central to the north London club’s chances of achieving Premier League and Champions League glory this season.
Arteta agrees that Jorginho is world-class. The 32-year-old may not have the legs to start and play 90 minutes week in, week out any more, but he still has a huge amount to contribute when called upon, particularly in the big games against top opposition. For that reason, Arteta has been urged to start Jorginho against Manchester City this weekend.
Rice and Jorginho have struck up an effective partnership in the middle of the park for Arsenal. The Italian veteran’s composure and reliability gives the England star the freedom to push higher up the pitch and make an impact in the final third. Rice has also been learning plenty from Jorginho this season, as the former Chelsea man has become something of a mentor to him.