Declan Rice facts for kids
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Rice playing for England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 14 January 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Arsenal | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 41 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2013 | Chelsea | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | West Ham United | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2023 | West Ham United | 204 | (10) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Arsenal | 59 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Republic of Ireland U17 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Republic of Ireland U19 | 6 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Republic of Ireland U21 | 5 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Republic of Ireland | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | England | 62 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Declan Rice (born 14 January 1999) is a professional footballer from England. He plays as a defensive midfielder for the Premier League club Arsenal. He also plays for the England national team.
Declan is known for his great energy, strength, and ability to carry the ball. He is also very good at tackling opponents. Many people think he is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Rice started his professional career at West Ham United. Before that, he was part of Chelsea's youth academy. By 2017, he became a very important player for West Ham. In 2022, he became the team's captain. The next year, he led them to win the UEFA Europa Conference League title. He was also named the best player of that competition.
After playing 245 games for West Ham, Declan Rice joined Arsenal in July 2023. This was a club record fee of £100 million. This made him one of the most expensive English players ever.
Declan could have played for either England or the Republic of Ireland. He played for Ireland's youth and senior teams before 2019. Then, he decided to play for England. He made his debut for England in 2019. He has played for England in major tournaments like UEFA Euro 2020, the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2024.
Contents
Declan Rice's Early Life and Career Beginnings
Declan Rice was born on 14 January 1999 in Kingston upon Thames, London. This is where he grew up. His grandparents on his father's side were from Cork, Ireland.
He joined the Chelsea academy when he was seven years old in 2006. In 2013, when he was 14, Chelsea let him go. After a trial, he joined the West Ham United academy.
A coach at West Ham, Trevor Bumstead, said that Declan's strong will helped him succeed. Rice won the Premier League Cup with the under-21 team in 2016. He also won the Premier League 2 Division 2 with the under-23 team in 2020.
Declan Rice's Club Football Journey
Playing for West Ham United
Starting Out at West Ham (2015–2020)
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Declan Rice signed his first professional contract with West Ham United in December 2015. This was two years after joining their youth team. In April 2017, he was called up to the senior team for the first time. This happened after he played very well for the under-23 team.
He played his first senior game on the last day of the 2016–17 Premier League season. He came on as a substitute in a 2–1 win against Burnley. In April 2018, he was almost named West Ham's Player of the Year.
In December 2018, he played his 50th game for West Ham. He was the first teenager since Michael Carrick to do this. He signed a new contract with the club later that month. In January 2019, Rice scored his first goal for West Ham. He was named man of the match in a 1–0 win against Arsenal.
He was also nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award in April. At the end of the 2018–19 season, his teammates voted him Players' Player of the Year. He also won the award for the best individual performance for his game against Arsenal. He was named Young Hammer of the Year for the third time in a row.
In December 2019, Declan captained West Ham for the first time. He was only 20 years old. He scored his only league goal of the 2019–20 season in July 2020. This was a powerful shot from outside the box against Watford.
During the 2019–20 season, Rice played every minute of West Ham's 38 league games. He was among the top players in the Premier League for tackles and interceptions. He also made more passes than any other West Ham player. He was named West Ham's Player of the Year for the first time in 2020.
Leading West Ham to Glory (2020–2023)
In February 2021, Rice scored his first goal of the season from a penalty kick. This helped West Ham win 3–0 against Sheffield United. In April 2021, he got a knee injury while playing for England. This meant he couldn't play for about four weeks.
In September 2021, Declan played his first European club game. He also scored his first European goal in a 2–0 win against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League. In May 2022, he was named West Ham's Player of the Year for the second time.
West Ham reached the semi-finals of the Europa League that season. Rice was chosen for the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League Team of the Year. After Mark Noble retired in May 2022, Declan Rice became the new captain of West Ham.
In October 2022, Rice scored his first goal of the season. It was a fantastic curling shot from far away. This goal helped West Ham get a 1–1 draw against Southampton. In April 2023, Rice scored a great goal in the UEFA Europa Conference League. He ran with the ball for more than 50 meters before scoring. This goal was called "perhaps the standout strike of Rice's career."
In May 2023, he was named West Ham's Player of the Year again. On 8 June 2023, UEFA named Rice the Europa Conference League's Player of the Season. He captained West Ham to win their first big European trophy since 1965. They won 2–1 against Fiorentina in the final.
During the 2022–23 season, Rice won the ball back more than any other Premier League player. He also made the most interceptions in the league.
Declan Rice left West Ham in July 2023 to join Arsenal. He played 245 games for West Ham and scored 15 goals. He is one of only three West Ham captains to lead the club to a major trophy. The club chairman said they wanted him to stay, but Rice wanted to play at the highest level.
Joining Arsenal Football Club
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On 15 July 2023, Declan Rice signed a long-term contract with Arsenal. The transfer fee was reported to be £100 million, which could go up by £5 million. This made him the most expensive English player ever, matching Jack Grealish's record.
Arsenal paid West Ham £50 million right away and another £50 million in the summer of 2024. West Ham will also get £1 million each time Arsenal qualifies for the UEFA Champions League. They will also get £1 million if he plays 60% of games in a season. These extra payments are capped at £5 million.
Rice played his first game for Arsenal on 6 August against Manchester City. Arsenal won this game, the 2023 FA Community Shield, after a penalty shootout. On 12 August, Rice started in Arsenal's first Premier League match of the 2023–24 Premier League season. They won 2–1 against Nottingham Forest.
On 3 September, he scored his first goal for Arsenal. It was in stoppage time and gave his team a 2–1 lead against Manchester United. Arsenal went on to win that match 3–1.
Declan Rice was nominated for The Best FIFA Men's Player award. This was for his great performances for both West Ham and Arsenal, and for the national team. On 11 February, Rice scored his first goal against his old club, West Ham United. Arsenal won that game 6–0.
Declan Rice's International Football Career
Playing for Republic of Ireland
Declan Rice was born in London, but he could play for Ireland. This is because his grandparents on his father's side are from Cork. In March 2017, he was named the Republic of Ireland U17 Player of the Year.
In May 2017, just days after his first Premier League game, Rice was called up to the Republic of Ireland senior squad. He played his first senior game for Ireland on 23 March 2018. They lost 1–0 to Turkey.
In August 2018, the Ireland manager left Rice out of the squad. He said Rice was thinking about playing for England. By November 2018, Rice said he still hadn't decided which country to play for. In December 2018, the new Ireland manager met with Rice. He said Rice could be a future captain for Ireland.
Playing for England National Team
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On 13 February 2019, Declan Rice decided to play for England. FIFA confirmed his change of national team on 5 March. On 13 March, he was called up to the England squad for the first time. He made his debut on 22 March as a substitute against the Czech Republic.
On 25 March 2019, England manager Gareth Southgate gave Rice his first start for the national team. England won 5–1 against Montenegro. After his great season with West Ham, Rice was chosen for the England squad for the 2019 UEFA Nations League Finals.
In September 2019, Rice said he received threats online after switching to play for England. He was the first player since the 1890s to play for both countries. Rice was part of the England squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He played in all seven games as England reached the final, where they lost to Italy.
Rice was also in the England squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He started all five matches as England reached the quarter-finals. They lost 2–1 to France.
Before his 50th game for England, it was announced that Rice would captain England for the first time. This happened in March 2024 against Belgium. On 6 June, he was named in England's squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He started in midfield in their first match against Serbia. England won 1–0.
Declan Rice's Playing Style
Declan Rice mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. He is known for his amazing fitness and his ability to win the ball back. More recently, he has also become known as a more complete midfielder. This is because he can carry the ball forward and score goals from long distances. Sometimes, he plays in a more attacking role, like a box-to-box midfielder. People also praise his excellent passing skills.
Declan Rice's Personal Life
Declan Rice has been very close friends with Mason Mount since they were kids. They played together at Chelsea's academy. His cousin, Finley Munroe, is also a professional footballer for Aston Villa.
In August 2022, Rice announced that he and his long-term girlfriend, Lauren Fryer, had their first child, a son.
Honours and Achievements
West Ham United
- UEFA Europa Conference League: 2022–23
Arsenal
- FA Community Shield: 2023
England
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2020, 2024
- UEFA Nations League third place: 2018–19
Individual Awards
- West Ham United Young Player of the Year: 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
- West Ham United Player of the Year: 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23
- Republic of Ireland U17 Player of the Year: 2016
- FAI Young International Player of the Year: 2018
- UEFA Europa League Team of the Season: 2021–22
- UEFA Europa Conference League Team of the Season: 2022–23
- UEFA Europa Conference League Player of the Season: 2022–23
- PFA Team of the Year: 2023–24 Premier League
- London Football Premier League Player of the Year: 2022, 2024
- London Football Premier League Young Player of the Year: 2019
See also
In Spanish: Declan Rice para niños
- List of association footballers who have been capped for two senior national teams
- List of Republic of Ireland international footballers born outside the Republic of Ireland
