Wayne Rooney believes Declan Rice has to be the “leader” after Arsenal paid a club-record transfer fee of £105m ($137m) to sign him from West ham.
The England international proved his mettle after starring in the Gunners’ 5-0 win over MLS All-Stars on Wednesday July 19, which was their first friendly in the United States.
However, DC United coach Rooney, who was in charge of the MLS team, was impressed with Rice and backed him to be a “huge player” at the Emirates.
“I think could be the one who could… well, he has to be the leader now, really, I think of that Arsenal team,” he told the Press Association.
“I saw Frank Lampard saying he felt Declan could be the Chelsea captain for the next 10 years if he went there.
“Also, I think he can do that [for Arsenal] and he seems to have that character and I believe he will be a huge player for Arsenal,” he added.
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However, Arsene Wenger, a former Arsenal manager, has also endorsed Rice and maintained that.
Also, as a result of acquiring the midfielder, Arsenal had a chance to win the Premier League in 2023–24.
Along with overhauling their roster, the Gunners added key players like Kai Havertz, Jurrien Timber, and the 24-year-old.
