Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has come to the defence of recent signing Noni Madueke, urging followers to present the previous Chelsea winger an opportunity and predicting he’ll “shock lots of people” along with his performances this season.
Madueke’s £48.5 million transfer to the Emirates final week sparked backlash on social media, with the hashtag #NoToMadueke trending and over 5,000 folks signing a petition opposing the switch.
But Rice, talking after Arsenal’s 1-0 pre-season win over AC Milan in Singapore, made it clear he helps the membership’s resolution and backs the 23-year-old to thrive.
“I understand how pushed he’s,” Rice stated. “I’ve spoken to him and also you’re going to see what he’s about this season. He desires to show and present everybody what he actually can do.
“He’s hungry, he desires to play for Arsenal and that’s the kind of gamers we wish. It’s so constructive.
“He’s going to shock lots of people and I can’t await him to come back.
“People have been talking internally – the gamers, the workers. We know the participant that we’re getting and we’re actually wanting ahead to having him at our membership. It’s going to be actually thrilling.”
As a part of the membership’s efforts to welcome Madueke, Rice penned a letter to the brand new signing – a gesture captured in Arsenal’s official announcement video.
The midfielder stated the initiative got here from the membership, including that it was a significant technique to make Madueke really feel at dwelling.
“It was a pleasant little contact for him to affix the membership and really feel welcome,” Rice stated. “He messaged me about it, saying that he actually, actually appreciates it.”
Madueke arrives to bolster Arsenal’s huge choices, primarily to help Bukayo Saka on the fitting flank and supply competitors for Gabriel Martinelli on the left.
Having notched 20 targets in 92 appearances for Chelsea, his direct attacking model is seen as a useful addition by Mikel Arteta.
Rice praised that mindset: “When you’re an attacking participant and in your thoughts the primary thought you’ve got is to go previous your defender, that’s an unbelievable trait to have.”
The England worldwide additionally highlighted the significance of getting higher depth within the squad after a season the place Arsenal’s title push was hindered by accidents and a scarcity of rotation choices.
“He’s going to carry that to the squad together with the opposite wingers now we have. Let’s be actual – final yr we hardly had any depth in any areas,” Rice defined.
“We performed half the season just about with so many accidents, so to now be capable of rotate and push in several competitions with completely different gamers goes to be actually, actually good. That’s key for us.”
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Rice Eyes Bigger Role
Having spent the latter a part of final season in a extra attacking midfield function, Rice seems set to proceed as a box-to-box presence this yr, significantly with the signings of Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard.
“I believe the supervisor now sees me as a box-to-box participant and I believe on the again finish of final season, off the again of Christmas, I confirmed totally what I can do in that place and I actually kicked on.
“I’m placing actually massive calls for on myself this yr. “I’m actually attempting to push myself as a result of the again finish of the season I completed actually, actually robust.
“At the beginning of the season final yr I used to be nowhere close to the extent that I require of myself.
“I put it down to some issues – the again of the Euros remaining was mentally actually powerful, having 16 days off, going straight again right into a Premier League season.
“More targets. More assists. Impact the video games extra. Not simply do it on the again finish of the season; do it in a full season and set myself some numbers.
“I believe the perfect gamers on this planet do this. They need to try to push themselves and that’s what I’m attempting to do and the supervisor is definitely on me to do this as nicely.”
