Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice feels there are no limits on his potential, and he goes into matches believing he’s going to play well.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 03: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates after teammate Kai Havertz (obscured) scored the team's first goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on February 03, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Declan Rice has been one of Arsenal’s star players this season, to the extent that there have been some conversations about whether he should be in contention for the various league-wide Player of the Year awards.
When asked about his season so far and those potential accolades, Rice insisted he’s not thinking about what he might win, but he does feel he’s grown a lot in his self-belief.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Declan Rice of Arsenal gets away from Conor Gallagher of Tottenham Hotspur during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 22, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
“I think as the years have gone on, I know there’s been no limits to what I can achieve,” Rice said.
“I don’t think about it all the time because there’s games every three days, I can’t just sit back and think ‘I might win this, I might win that.’ It’s just thick and fast.
“I like that element of it just because once you’ve got confidence, confidence is everything. Once you’re going into every game with confidence, energy, you know you’re going to play well.
“That’s the feeling I’ve had this year. I’m going into games knowing that I feel like I’m going to play well. Instead of thinking negative about anything, I just feel positive about the game and about what this team can do. I think that mindset makes a massive difference.”
MILAN, ITALY - JANUARY 20: Declan Rice of Arsenal takes photos inside the stadium prior to the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD7 match between FC Internazionale Milano and Arsenal FC at Stadio San Siro on January 20, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
As it stands, Arsenal are sweating on Rice’s fitness ahead of a couple of huge games this week.
The Gunners face Sporting CP in the Champions League quarter-final second leg on Wednesday night, and even with just hours to go until the game, fans still don’t know whether the midfielder might be involved.
Then there’s the pivotal Premier League clash against title rivals Manchester City on Sunday, another one the club wouldn’t want Rice to miss.
But Rice has already made 46 appearances for Arsenal this season, and it’s not surprising his fitness has started to suffer a bit lately. First, he had to pull out of international duty and miss the FA Cup game away to Southampton. Now, he’s an injury doubt once again.
When Rice is available, there’s little arguing that he doesn’t have a major impact on Arsenal’s chances of winning matches. Mikel Arteta will hope the 27-year-old can get through the next two months without further setbacks.
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