Declan Rice has shared what David Moyes would tell him at West Ham which is totally different at Arsenal now.
Speaking to The Guardian, the midfielder discussed the difference between playing under David Moyes and Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal have enjoyed an impressive start to the Premier League season and currently sit just a point behind league leaders Manchester City.
It’s fair to say that Declan Rice has been key to their early-season form and has taken no time to settle. Indeed, Rio Ferdinand recently claimed Rice has been Arsenal’s best player this season.
The England star has started in every game in the league and has been used in different roles in midfield.
Now, Rice has claimed that while Moyes would tell him to go and find the ball at West Ham, Arteta favours a more structured approach.
Rice shares what Moyes told him at West Ham
Rice claimed that due to differences in approach, he has to be more patient at Arsenal after he was told to ‘get on the ball’ at West Ham.
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“You never want to stay stale,” he said. “At Arsenal I’m playing in a slightly different role.
“There’s a lot of talk over whether I can play higher up the pitch. At West Ham when I was more box‑to‑box, [David] Moyes used to say: ‘Roam, do what you need to do to get on the ball.’
“At Arsenal, it’s more structured and you’ve got to be more patient. We see a lot more of the ball so it’s about being more progressive.
“I had predominantly played in a side that was really good at counterattacking so I had to make a change.”
Of course, it’s no real surprise to hear that Rice was given different instructions at West Ham.
The England star was the playmaker in the Hammers’ side, as well as their main man when it came to winning the ball back.
At Arsenal, they have the likes of Martin Odegaard and Jorginho, who are also capable of dictating the pace of the game.