Footage of Declan Rice instructing Arsenal players moments after scoring the winner against Manchester United has emerged online and it's exactly what fans have been wanting to see from their new signing.
Rice joined the Gunners for a club-record fee of £105 million this summer, putting pen to paper on a five-year deal at the Emirates with the option of an extra year.
The 24-year-old registered his first goal for the north London club in the most dramatic of circumstances against Manchester United, arriving at the back-post to win the game for Arsenal in stoppage time.
But it was his reaction after the goal that has got people talking, with Rice instructing the rest of the team to keep their cool, reminding them that they needed to get over the line before they could properly celebrate.One could argue it was the kind of leadership and mentality that the Gunners lacked last season, as they fell short to Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta previously waxed lyrical about the England international's "leadership" and "aura" back in August, stating: "His leadership, his aura, obviously the experience he already has in this league.
"He’s going to bring the team to a different dimension. He’s got the physical qualities that we’ve been missing for a while, that’s why we had to do what we had to do to get him, because he’s really important for us."
Meanwhile, the Daily Mail claimed last month that Arteta views Rice as a future captain of Arsenal, with the midfielder tipped to become part of the club's recognised leadership group.Speaking about Rice's goal after the game, club and international teammate Bukayo Saka told talkSPORT:
“That was amazing. I think I watched his goal back over 20 times. It was an unbelievable moment for him, his family, and even the stadium.
“He told me that the Emirates is crazy when he felt the atmosphere. He’s right, you know, it’s really special to play there.
“I’m just happy that he’s happy and that he’s performing and he got his first goal. I don’t think there’s a better moment for him to get his first goal."
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