Former England captain Stuart Pearce has urged Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice to 'do more' on the pitch, despite acknowledging his exceptional talent. Rice enjoyed a stellar season with Arsenal, winning the Premier League title and narrowly missing out on Champions League glory after a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
Rice's Outstanding Season
The 27-year-old heads to the World Cup this summer as a key figure in England's midfield and vice-captain under Thomas Tuchel. Tuchel praised Rice highly when explaining his decision, saying: 'He's on the highest football IQ, he takes care about formation, he takes care about our structure and the adaptation. I think he has had an outstanding two seasons in his personal career with Arsenal. In the last two years, he has been one of the main players in Europe and in the Champions League. One of the very best midfielders in Europe at the moment, full of confidence and that's why he's my vice captain.'
Pearce's Challenge
Pearce, who coached Rice during his time at West Ham, agrees with Tuchel's assessment but believes Rice can be even more influential. 'With Dec, you think he could win a game on his own, because of his physical prowess, his ability on the ball, and you're thinking: "Maybe [he could do] a little bit more",' Pearce told the Daily Mail. 'I probably thought the same, back in the day at West Ham, but you don't say that about many players.'
Free-Kick Potential
Pearce also suggested Rice could take more free-kicks, having scored two superb efforts against Real Madrid last season. 'I was renowned for taking free-kicks and I saw Dec score two wonder free-kicks against Real Madrid. I've barely seen him take one since. Like Dec, I could score from free-kicks and if I were him I'd be saying to my team-mates "Get out of my way. I'm taking this and I'm taking all of them, unless you can do better than me."'
Keane's View
Roy Keane also called on Rice to show more leadership earlier this season after a defeat to Bournemouth, saying: 'This is where Rice has to show a bit more leadership skills... People like Rice, we're talking about leadership skills, they've got to get a grip of people.' However, a month later, Keane acknowledged Rice had stepped up: 'Without a doubt, he has stepped up to the plate... he has stepped up to another level and that is what you want from your big players.'
