Declan Rice answers Arsenal role query with Mikel Arteta claim amid honest price tag admission

Declan Rice has noted the clear differences between playing Arsenal and West Ham following his summer switch between the two Premier League clubs. The England midfielder signed for the Gunners in a £105million deal, the most expensive fee for a British player, with a number of key displays already going some way to justifying the funds spent.

Across four competitions, Rice has made 18 appearances with his two goals coming in crucial Premier League games against Manchester United and Chelsea. Injuries have resulted in Rice being utilised in two different midfield roles with his more common position in recent weeks being an advanced midfielder on the right of a three.

This has allowed the Gunners to have more control in games with Jorginho often sitting deeper behind him. Much has been said by others about the 24-year-old's best position and now Rice himself has commented on his current role at Arsenal which is quite different from what he was asked to do at London Stadium by West Ham boss David Moyes.

“At Arsenal I’m playing in a slightly different role, he said via Yahoo Sport. «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.”

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Rice will likely anchor the Arsenal midfield for at