DECLAN Rice is a bonafide star. Last year he set a new record with his £105 million move from West Ham to Arsenal, making him one of the most expensive English players in history. He is England's number 4, and a likely contender to be the country's next captain.
This week Uefa Euro 2024 kicks off in Munich, and on Sunday England take on Serbia. "We want to make history," Rice said on his way to the airport on Monday. The weight on his shoulders is greater than ever, as manager Gareth Southgate has asked him to step up as dressing room leader, now that he is the oldest midfielder.
Rice and I meet where it all began: at Dickerage Sports and Community Centre in Kingston upon Thames. The newly renovated pitch has reopened following investment from Müller as part of Rice's ongoing partnership with the brand. It was there that he played five-a-side in his spare time while already a member of the Chelsea academy, which he joined aged seven.
"I used to be there every day when I wasn't training, and I could practice what I'd been told to work on by Chelsea," he has written. Today, he tells me: "This was the place where I felt safe and happy. Coming here gave me the confidence to know that I could interact with people over a game I love, and grow as a person."
He is there to give back, playing five a-side with scores of children to whom he is a hero. The queue for photos and autographs builds for hours even as it starts to rain. There isn't anyone for whom Rice doesn't make the time, smiling for every picture and signing every football that comes his way despite feeling "overwhelmed". "I'm quite a laid-back person," he says. "When I walked through the gate [earlier] I didn't want all the attention in a way. It's hard to think about the fact that I used to be one of those kids, looking at where I am now... It just happened so quick."
This story is from the June 12, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
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This story is from the June 12, 2024 edition of Evening Standard.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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