6 min readApr 21, 2025 08:44 AM IST
First published on: Apr 21, 2025 at 08:43 AM IST
The shadows of Declan Rice would haunt the Real Madrid crew in their nightmares for months to come. In both ties that he bent to his will with his balance, vision, charisma and leadership, he was the dead end Madrid repeatedly ran into.
One minute, he was the unbudging defensive screen, blocking, muscling and thwarting their progression in nascence; the next second he was the midfield conduit, dictating the rhyme and rhythm, the man with a compass in his head to thread the most precise pass to break Madrid’s midfield lines. As though he had deployed an army of lookalikes assembled from Wilko, he is bouncing near the byline, slipping a cute pass into the path of false nine Mikel Merino. Or slithering to snatch the ball off the forward’s feet in the opposite box. Wherever they gazed, they could only see the muscular frame of Rice, his unsoiled shirt despite the work-rate and his hair slick and tidy.
His tour de force in both legs would be etched in Champions League folklore, comparable to the midfield masterclasses of Roy Keane against Juventus in 1999 and Steven Gerrard in the 2005 final against AC Milan. Even more electric in that he came utterly uncelebrated, as arguably the most underrated midfield gems from England. And he only 26, the best could yet to be.
But endemic is a tendency to view English footballers, celebrated in their homeland, as the byproduct of hyper-hype and extensive PR drive. As unobjectionable as the perception of hyperbole is, Rice is on the other end of the spectrum. He is the exception of an un-acclaimed English footballer. That is until the two nights he twisted the knife on Champions League Czars. How he did is what makes him such a fascinating watch.
His manager Mikel Arteta had forewarned the rest of the world about his ludicrous gifts. “There are different ways he can create moments in and around the box. He can decide the game with different tools” he observed last year. He could assist and score, he could dribble and dupe, he has a long-range oeuvre and six-yard box sophistry, he swings in benders from corners, and he bends the corners of his free-kicks. He installs balance; he spells calms. To watch him in full flight is among the most magnificent sights in contemporary football, in how he seamlessly blends his variegated skills to produce something extraordinary in big games on big stages, in how he shape-shifts from a midfield hard-man to midfield visionary, then to the tough-tackling last man on the defence and then back to the enforcer role. He holds a mirror to the various layers that make the game bewitching.
For someone hired primarily to shore up defence, Rice’s attacking output has been exceptional this season. (AP)
When he joined Arsenal for an astronomical 105 millions pounds — his former manager David Moyes insists this was a bargain price — doubts lingered on how he would adjust to a more structured function, as opposed to the licence Moyes granted him to roam anywhere in the midfield. His profile at Arsenal, some presumed, was of classical holding midfielder, vigilantly guarding the back four and offering balance and sturdiness. His physicality was immense and he could release the forward effectively. Rice, though, would jokingly say: “A lot of people see more as a simple, basic player who gets it, gives it, and protects the back four, but my team-mates, manager and I know what I’ve got in my lock.”
The midfielders he idolised — Patrick Vieira and Yaya Toure— too were more than just the snarling defensive midfield roughhouses, but endowed with a refined, Rolls Royce attacking game. He might not be as physically imposing as Vieira, but has more command over his tempers than the Frenchman. He might not possess the Belgian’s natural athleticism and flair when attacking, but is stabler when defending. At Arsenal, they have nicknamed him ‘Horse’. In a sense, he is Keane without the tantrums. And perhaps just a rung beneath Rodri, the consummate midfield virtuoso of this era.
Whereas watching Rodri is akin yo being marvelled by a note-perfect orchestra, everything in its deserved place, Rice offers burst of metal, especially he marauds upfront, throwing his team’s shape off-kilter, but providing a surge of unalloyed thrill. He once explained the spirit that seizes him when he configures a path he could simply carry the ball forward. “I want to show people that I can be exciting and take the ball forward. I’ve got great athleticism and watching the top players over the years like Yaya Toure and Vieira, there’s a long way to go to get to their level, but the way they used to carry the ball up the pitch and carry their team forward is something I’m trying to learn and add to my game.” He scored one such goal against Brentford earlier this month.
For someone hired primarily to shore up defence, his attacking output has been exceptional this season (7 goals and nine assists in 45 games). The numbers are somewhat similar to Rodri the year before (nine goals and 15 assists in 50 games). Like Rodri, he often saves his grandest performances against the grandest stages. And if he could inspire Arsenal to their first Champions League triumph, he could barge into the Ballon d’Or race too. But in April at least, he was undoubtedly the best player on the planet. The beleaguered Madrid, in white shirts with red faces, would begrudgingly testify of Rice’s immensity.
Declan Rice's tour de force in both legs against Real Madrid would be etched in Champions League folklore. (AP) 
For someone hired primarily to shore up defence, Rice’s attacking output has been exceptional this season. (AP)
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