Maybe you would expect nothing less for £105million, but the Premier League’s most expensive British footballer, Declan Rice, has become a machine in both mind and body, learning from other sports such as boxing and golf.
Rice, whose completed move from West Ham to Arsenal will raise hopes that this season’s title race won’t be a one-team procession, is the home boy who may have preferred to stay in the capital even if Manchester City had matched the Hammers’ asking price.
A boyhood Chelsea fan, Rice’s initial dream was to return to Stamford Bridge – from where he was released aged 14 – in a blaze of glory.
But with things turning in a different direction under Todd Boehly – and Rice’s best mate Mason Mount leaving for Manchester United – Arsenal were a winning alternative. They leave for their American pre-season tour on Sunday with Champions League football to look forward to.
Rice was focused on the main prize from the day he walked in the door at West Ham. ‘He always looked at you in the eye during conversations. It isn’t always the case for young players,’ recalled academy chief Tony Carr.
Arsenal officially unveiled Declan Rice as their latest signing after agreeing a £105m move
Rice’s new club were a winning alternative to Chelsea and he will bolster Mikel Arteta’s side
He has developed his physical levels and benefitted from demanding sessions in the gym
That focus to listen and improve has been a hallmark of his career since. He has become an England mainstay at their last two tournaments and in June became only the third captain in West Ham’s history, after Bobby Moore and Billy Bonds, to lift a major trophy.
Rice, who has always trained at 100 per cent every day, has developed his physical levels further since fitness coach David Billows joined West Ham in 2020, having also worked for manager David Moyes at Everton.
Billows has a boxing background, with cruiserweight world champion Tony Bellew hailing him as his ‘day one strength and conditioning coach’.
‘The best in the business – a massive asset,’ says Bellew, and Rice has benefited from his demanding sessions in the gym, often with Billows, most days before and after training.
‘Try to sneak past him, he’ll drag you in. He’s proper,’ says Rice, now 24 and entering his peak years.
Billows doesn’t use boxing methods directly for his footballers. You won’t find any punchbags or speed balls around his gym.
The midfielder has become a mainstay for England and left West Ham in emotional fashion
Before his exit, Rice became only the third captain in West Ham’s history to lift a major trophy
He was focused on the main prize from the day he walked through the door at the Hammers
But his style and charisma in cajoling millionaire Premier League stars and getting them to work like prizefighters does pay dividends.
‘Having a personality like Dave’s does help when he’s demanding more reps. He knows when players need to go flat out and when it’s better for them to tick over,’ said a club insider.
Rice covered a remarkable 257 miles in the Premier League last season, the third highest of any player after James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) and Pascal Gross (Brighton).
It is a phenomenal effort which is why Mikel Arteta will be confident of using him either as a holding midfield player – if Thomas Partey departs – or further up the field should the Ghanaian stay.
Just as importantly to his stamina and core strength is Rice’s ability to switch off mentally given he has played 180 games since football resumed post-Covid three years ago.
Rice’s way to release the pressure is on the golf course where he’s a member of a club in the Surrey countryside.
‘You can take your mind off pretty much anything when you’re having a round of golf,’ he says. ‘It’s refreshing, I love those early mornings in the summer, walking around with dad or some of my mates, coffee on the go.
Just as important to his stamina and strength is his ability to switch off and relieve pressure
Rice is all about learning and Arsenal will now hope he can turn them into league champions
‘I’ve had lessons before and I hope to be a half-decent player by the time I retire and get into those golf days!’
Joining Arsenal completes a circle of sorts for Rice. It was against them early in his career that Moyes berated him for misjudging a cross which cost West Ham a goal.
Some felt the manager was overly harsh on a young player but Rice embraced it. ‘I knew it was right because I’d made a mistake,’ he said. ‘I’d made a mistake. I took it on the chin.
‘Those type of experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. There are two types, people who take it and move on, and those who sulk. You should be able to take some – that is how you learn.’
Rice has been all about learning. Learning from a boxing trainer how to reach peak fitness. Learning from the golf course how to release stress.
And now he is a £105m superstar who Arsenal hope will turn them into Premier League champions after a 20-year wait since The Invincibles.
