Micah Richards believes Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has ‘taken his game to the next level’ and is now ‘one of the best players in world football’.

Rice played a starring role in Premier League leaders Arsenal’s routine win over Burnley on Saturday, taking the corner which resulted in Viktor Gyokeres’ opener and then scoring himself.

The England star has made a huge impact at Arsenal since his £105m move from West Ham in 2023 and Richards insists he is integral to Arsenal’s title hopes.

Mikel Arteta’s side, runners-up in the Premier League for the past three seasons, are six points clear of their nearest rival after ten games of the 2025-26 campaign.

‘I don’t like singling players out because it’s a team effort – and I have to give Mikel Arteta credit for building that – but I have to identify Declan Rice,’ Richards said on The Rest is Football podcast.

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