Declan Rice embraces new box-to-box role and is feeling “unstoppable” for Arsenal and England. Declan Rice is having an outstanding season of 2025 and he embraces his high performance to a drastic change in his role both to the club and his country. The midfielder is an important figure to both England and Arsenal. He has now become more of a dynamic box-to-box number eight rather than a conventional holding player. Something he claims has opened the doors of his game and made him feel invincible.
The Tactical Evolution
The change of Rice is a planning by two of the most tactically savvy managers in the game. In Arsenal, Mikel Arteta and with England national team, Thomas Tuchel. The two managers have provided Rice with a modified role which allows him to have greater influence of the game in both ends of the field.
Rice was the captain of England in a friendly match against Wales. He scored the goal of his team 3-0. He said afterwards: “I believe I am now more of a box-to-box number eight. The manager has changed my role at arsenal a little bit this year to allow me a little more freedom to drop a little more. But also get in the box where I can and so is the same with Thomas. This combination position enables him to go deep to start plays and recover attacks by the opponent. It will also help him make late and dangerous runs into the opponent penalty area.
A Newfound Confidence
This strategic freedom has come to pass as a wave of confidence in the 26 year old. Rice has openly acknowledged this change is one of the major contributors to his domineering form. He said that with this kind of confidence, you are unstoppable at times. He attributes this to Arteta and Tuchel who have given crystal-clear tactical instructions. Rice explained that he had two managers that made it so easy to lay out the gameplan on what I had to do and where I had to be. It is me that has got to go and do it.
The Synergy in Midfield
Rice’s successful role change is also facilitated by his effective partnerships in the center of the park. For England, he has also developed a strong understanding with Nottingham Forest’s Elliott Anderson. Rice praised this partnership, noting, “We are playing closer together, he is letting me go forward a little bit more. We are building a nice little partnership”. This understanding with a more defensively-minded partner provides the platform that allows Rice the license to push forward.
The same dynamic is played at Arsenal. The entry of Martin Zubimendi in the summer is perceived to be a major facilitator to the transformation of Rice. Zubimendi is also very athletic and positionally flexible to cover the longer distances when Rice runs with the ball and to make the midfield more fluid and versatile compared to the previous seasons.
Author’s Opinion
The next step that Declan Rice makes is the shift into playing a full box-to-box midfielder. This opens a new promising chapter in his career. He has also used his great stamina, ball-carrying skills and better offensive instincts to become even more invaluable to Arsenal, and to England. Moreover, he has the confidence of his managers, having a position that puts his special talent to the optimum. Rice has the destiny to keep on his climb as one of the best midfielders in the world. I feel very strong, as he himself says. I am fit, and I feel really confident about my game and hopefully it is nothing but uphill all the way going up until England and Arsenal become champions.
As featured on GoonerNews.com
