Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is set to be rewarded for his consistent brilliance at club level with the England captaincy for their friendly against Wales, according to BBC Sport. The 26-year-old has been one of Thomas Tuchel’s most reliable performers, and his leadership qualities are once again being recognised on the international stage.
Declan Rice has been a model of consistency for both Arsenal and England over the past few seasons, combining defensive solidity with an increasing influence in attack. From his 12 appearances this season, the midfielder has already registered two goals and four assists, impressive numbers considering he has been rested in three of Mikel Arteta’s starting lineups.
There were brief concerns that Rice could miss England duty after he picked up a back injury during Arsenal’s win over West Ham United, a game in which he also scored against his former club. However, fears of a setback quickly faded when Arsenal confirmed that Martin Ødegaard had withdrawn from Norway’s squad — with no mention of Rice among the injured absentees.
While Elliot Anderson stole headlines during the last international break, Rice continued to deliver for England, scoring against Latvia and providing two assists in a dominant 5-0 win over Serbia.
Declan Rice will wear the England armband tonight with Harry Kane sidelined through injury. It will be the Arsenal star’s second time captaining the Three Lions, having previously done so in the 1-0 defeat to Brazil last year.
Leadership is nothing new for Rice. He was named West Ham captain in 2022 before his record-breaking move to Arsenal, where many fans — and even former club legend Tony Adams — have called for him to eventually take the captain’s role.
However, Arteta has repeatedly defended his decision to keep Martin Ødegaard as Arsenal captain, insisting the Norwegian still commands the respect of the squad.
“My opinion is clear — and it’s the same as all the staff and players,” Arteta said. “I asked them to vote for the captain, and by a mile, they all chose Martin Ødegaard. That shows how much the team values him.”
Even when Ødegaard has been unavailable, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Magalhães have typically stepped in as vice-captains, with Arteta perhaps reluctant to add more responsibility to Rice’s already demanding role at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield.
Still, with Rice now leading England out at Wembley, his growing reputation as one of the game’s most complete midfielders — and natural leaders — continues to rise.
