Roy Keane Rates Declan Rice Among World's Elite as Arsenal Chase Title Glory

Manchester United legend Roy Keane has delivered a ringing endorsement of Declan Rice, placing the Arsenal midfielder firmly among the planet's elite talents.

Rice has been putting in eye-catching performances for the Gunners this season, notching four goals and five assists across 28 appearances in all competitions. The England international, who joined Arsenal from West Ham for £105m in 2023, has become a driving force in Mikel Arteta's push for silverware.

The timing of Keane's praise carries extra weight given Arsenal's current standing atop the Premier League table. Arteta's side hold a commanding six-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City and third-placed Aston Villa, offering genuine hope of ending their three-year drought of runners-up finishes.

Arsenal's momentum took a slight dent on Thursday, however, when they were held to a goalless stalemate by defending champions Liverpool at home—a result that came shortly after City had dropped points elsewhere.

Keane was unstinting in his assessment of Rice during his Sky Sports analysis following the Liverpool encounter. "Is he one of the top players in the world now? I do think he is," Keane declared, citing Rice's performances at both club and international level.

The pundit highlighted Rice's technical quality and intelligence, noting how the midfielder's role has evolved since his West Ham days. "His role has changed a bit, he's getting forward a lot more. We always thought he had goals in him because his technique is that good and he's a smart player," Keane explained.

Beyond individual brilliance, Keane emphasised Rice's capacity to elevate those around him. "He's a top player and makes the players around him better as well," the former United midfielder said, while also acknowledging Rice's character. "He seems a pretty humble guy but he's also got a bit of confidence about him, you need a little bit of an ego to play for a big club."

Arsenal boss Arteta shares Keane's assessment entirely. When asked whether Rice ranks among the world's best midfielders, the Gunners manager replied in the affirmative, describing him as pivotal to the club's ambitions.

"For me the ones that we have are the best. Declan is constantly adding things to his game," Arteta said. "I don't see where he can stop because he can still improve in a lot of areas and he wants to improve. He's such a pivotal player for us."