It’s time for Declan Rice to lead Arsenal to glory. These are the stories that prove he’s up to it – from his defining trait and how he leads without armband to academy stars’ ‘big brother’ and his booming off-field brand, reveals ISAAN KHAN

Adversity has stalked Declan Rice for half his life.

At 14, he was released by Chelsea, a rejection he still uses as fuel. When West Ham then took a chance on him, initially he was still more spare part than golden boy, the last in his cohort of Under 18s to receive a scholarship.

When he finally broke into their first team and grew to become Hammers captain, the questions merely shifted. Now they were about his mobility and whether he could offer more than solely being an exceptional midfield anchor.

Each time doubts have surfaced, the 27-year-old has emphatically answered them, and this season he is the frontrunner to be named Premier League Player of the Year. But the next three months will pose a different examination altogether. With Arsenal flirting with faltering in the final straight towards a potential first Premier League title in 22 years, the spotlight narrows once more.

Can he step up and show just why he’s the most expensive English footballer in history? Can he steady a side gripped by nerves and drag them back on course in this title race, starting with Sunday’s north London derby? Can Rice truly come to the boil?

Unlike those before, these questions feel less about technical capacity and more about temperament. And a good temperament may be Rice’s defining trait.

Rice has evolved his game with every passing season. And ever since his £105million transfer to Arsenal in July 2023, Mikel Arteta has taken him to a new dimension.

At West Ham he went from centre back to holding midfielder, one whose work could go unnoticed but was indispensable. But in two-and-a-half seasons in north London, Rice’s game has developed into something far more complete — an architect as well as the extinguisher.

He can do it all – breaking lines, creating chances and altering huge games with moments of brilliance, as seen by his free-kick brace against Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

His trajectory from reliable holding midfielder to one of the Premier League’s most influential players mirrors a broader evolution of the role itself which has made him a household name beyond football.

As an ambassador for L’Oreal, his face beams down from billboards and London buses. Rice has worked with luxury fashion labels such as Prada and Aime Leon Dore. It echoes David Beckham’s ‘Brand Beckham’ in his Manchester United heyday, and he could yet follow him into taking the England captain’s armband, too.

Having such an impact off the pitch is rare, especially while doing so on it too, and it’s this breadth of influence which sets Rice apart.

So far this season, Rice is the only Premier League midfielder to rank in the top three for passes completed (1,386), chances created (51) and touches (2,025), sitting second for each. His defensive numbers are slightly lower on metrics such as tackles (16th, on 48), though that is more than made up for in possession won (3rd, on 134), clearances (5th, on 57) and distance covered (5th, on 171 miles).

He has also become one of the best set-piece takers in Europe, creating 10 goals in the Premier League since he was handed the reins from corners in January 2024. Only Bruno Fernandes has created more (11) in Europe’s top-five leagues across that time. He is also Arsenal’s designated long throw-in specialist, though nowhere close to as dangerous as he is with his feet.

This was never the plan. ‘It’s crazy,’ he said earlier this season. ‘I didn’t come here to be a set-piece taker, but it was something the manager and set-piece coach saw in me. I feel like they had more belief in me than I had in myself, but the more I started to take them, I got more confident with it and I realised I could do what they want.’ 

It’s an extra layer to a weaponry which is as vast as any midfielder’s in world football. But performing on the pitch has almost become the baseline expectation.

At Arsenal, Rice is no longer judged purely on interceptions or progressive passes. Those are givens. The £105m fee ensured big moments such as a second-half brace against Bournemouth on January 3 to rescue his side having come back early from an injury, or the midfield masterclass at Newcastle in September where he covered more ground than any of his team-mates.

What defines seasons and legacies is how a player responds when the margin for error vanishes — if Manchester City win their next 12 league matches (including against Arsenal at the Etihad in April), they lift the title.

Consecutive draws against Brentford and Wolves have prised open the title race. City, relentless as ever and even in their new state capable of sweeping that 12-game run, lurk five points back with a game in hand, and the confidence of having pipped Arsenal to the title twice in the previous three seasons. The psychological scars of recent near-misses still hover over north London.

If Arsenal are to end a 22-year wait for the title, Rice must be at the centre of it. Leadership is a strong trait which is evident in his game, even though Martin Odegaard is club captain, and Gabriel and Bukayo Saka are more likely to be seen wearing the armband.

Earlier this season, when asked about the significance of Rice’s leadership, Arteta said: ‘A huge amount. Obviously he was captain at West Ham. He comes here to a new club, a new environment and there were things already set, but he has earned the right to increase that role.

‘To be more important, to be very present in everything we do, he’s in the leadership group, which is very important. He’s a real presence. He doesn’t need to wear the armband to feel really connected, really powerful and really important in the team.’

He is among the most vocal figures in the squad, constantly gesturing, demanding more. During Wednesday’s 2-2 draw with Wolves, frustration spilled over as he barked instructions at team-mates who were drifting from their tasks.

In the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Chelsea, cameras caught him locked in a heated exchange with assistant manager Albert Stuivenberg. Arteta later dismissed any issue, yet the episode spoke volumes about Rice’s emotional investment.

After the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest, as he applauded supporters, television cameras captured him shaking his head, muttering in anger, ‘F***ing s***, every f***ing time!’, at another opportunity squandered. It was raw. Unfiltered.

Odegaard may wear the armband, but Rice often feels like the emotional guard rail. When nerves creep in, he confronts them – and that may be the true examination awaiting him now as Arsenal’s title challenge threatens to self-implode.

Young sides often need a stabiliser in moments like this, someone who has known doubt and emerged stronger each time. Rice’s career was forged in precisely such conditions.

His connection with academy players breaking through has not gone unnoticed, too, having helped the likes of Max Dowman fit in around the first team. When academy stars transition to first-team sessions, Rice is often the bridge. He checks on them and explains unspoken standards.

A source told Daily Mail Sport: ‘When one young Arsenal player signed his professional contract, he referenced Rice. That says it all.

‘He tries to guide the youngsters, tells them how they can integrate into the first team. He’s been through a lot himself having been released at Chelsea, so knows what’s it like as a young player.

‘On the pitch he will talk and get the job done, work hard. He is a proper leader. He always tries to take them under his wing by being around, sitting with them.

‘He’s not just nice to them, he doesn’t take nonsense. If you step out of line, he will discipline you. Last season, Dowman was in the gym with the first team and had an Under 18s game after. He went to watch the Under 18 game and stayed to speak to Max after.

‘He tries to be a big brother to the young players. When you are not playing to the expected standards, he will tell you because he wants the best.’

Silverware aside, his on-field excellence and carefully cultivated image have already propelled him beyond the confines of football. He is a commercial asset as much as he is a 72-cap England star, and his endorsements, sponsors and millions of followers (5.7million on Instagram, to be exact) could make him the face of the national team.

His image rights company, DR images limited, has almost £5m in the bank and made substantial profits last year, given that he is due to pay £800,000 in corporation tax.

Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told Daily Mail Sport: ‘It’s a win-win for all parties. He’s able to command premium prices and rightly so.

‘Arsenal get the reflected glory of him playing for the club. He’s articulate, funny, self-deprecating, and ticks an awful lot of boxes from the perspective of an upmarket organisation that they would want to align themselves with. For the brand, they are being linked to a successful individual.

‘Sir Alex Ferguson thought that Brand Beckham took over the player at Manchester United, but I doubt that will happen with Rice. There is always a risk with that (taking too much on) and it needs to be carefully managed.

‘(His earnings) are indicative of how successful he is as a brand and why so many commercial partners want to work with him. You can see why so many people in business think he’s an ideal choice.’

Rice has navigated rejection, scrutiny and expectation before. He has lifted a European trophy as West Ham captain. He has transformed his game under elite coaching.

The coming weeks will not define him as a footballer. His quality is already beyond dispute.

They will define Declan Rice the leader. And if adversity has taught him anything, it is how to respond when the pressure is greatest.