“Arteta should strip Odegard of the captain band and give it to him”- Manchester United Legend Rio Ferdinand has told Mikel Arteta to collect Arsenal’s captaincy from Odegard and give it to….

Declan Rice has been tipped to become a future Arsenal captain by Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.

However, Ferdinand has warned Rice that his £105 million including add-ons move to the Gunners from West Ham United will come with scrutiny. The Red Devils icon told his Vibe with FIVE YouTube channel:

“I think as a character, he’s perfect. Declan knows as well, the knives and forks will be out waiting if things don’t go well immediately. So that’s a different pressure. He’s never had that pressure.”

Nevertheless, Ferdinand expects the England international to flourish and sees him wearing the captain’s armband in the future:

“They’re the things that will be different for him that he will have to contend with, but I’ve got no doubt that he’ll have an impact at that football club over the years, and he’ll probably go on to be the captain of Arsenal at some point.”

Declan Rice has not only become the north Londoners’ club-record signing but also the most expensive British player in history. Mikel Arteta’s side were hellbent on luring him to the Emirates and have done so at a hefty fee.

However, the 24-year-old has become one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders. He’s defensively sound, accomplished on the ball and has added goals to his game. He managed five goals and four assists in 50 games across competitions last season

Rice’s leadership qualities are a massive plus, as he captained West Ham to UEFA Europa Conference League glory last season. He’s also a mainstay in Gareth Southgate’s England national team, earning 43 caps.

Arsenal’s capture of Rice comes after a campaign that saw them challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title. However, Arteta’s side fell five points short and lacked leaders in the closing stages of the campaign as their title challenge imploded.