Declan Rice: I’ve Watched My Free-Kicks Against Real Madrid a Hundred Times
Declan Rice, Arsenal’s midfielder, claimed he has watched his free-kicks against Real Madrid nearly a hundred times and now hopes to repeat it against PSG.
Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal will face each other tomorrow night in the last match of the UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg in France. Mikel Arteta’s squad, after a 1-0 defeat in the first leg, has no choice but to win against Luis Enrique’s team.
Declan Rice, who attended the pre-match press conference with Mikel Arteta, spoke about the team’s condition ahead of the match: “I’ve played many matches in my career, and tomorrow is just another one, so there’s no extra pressure on me. I’ve played in the semi-finals before and know what it takes to reach the final. The last time we went to Santiago Bernabéu, we showed we can shine in big matches. If we win, it will be the greatest night in our history.”
On Martin Ødegaard’s presence:
Ødegaard is our team leader and has the full respect of the squad. His way of speaking, leading, and many other things make everyone respect him. I don’t want anyone to think we need another new leader.
Playing in the number eight position:
I’ve played most of my matches in the number eight position so far. I’m very happy in this role and also happy with a four-man defensive line. It gives me freedom. I think there are high expectations of me. Working under Mikel has helped me perform very well on the pitch, and it’s been fantastic.
Some fans say the fee paid to West Ham for you was less than Declan Rice’s worth:
I’m just doing my job and don’t think about these things.
Scoring again from free-kicks:
I’ve watched my free-kicks against Real Madrid nearly a hundred times. It’s unlikely I’ll score two consecutive free-kicks again, but I hope to put one past PSG tomorrow night.