Arsenal player Declan Rice is easily one of the better midfielders in the world. The 25-year-old has climbed to prominence over six years at the Hammers and later made a move to Premier League heavyweights Arsenal.
Known for his versatility and athleticism, Rice was reportedly sold to the Gunner for $131 million plus over $5 million in ad-ons.
🚨 West Ham have just communicated to Arsenal that they’re accepting £100m plus £5m add-ons fee for Declan Rice.
The two clubs remain in talks over deal structure & payment terms — as West Ham want £100m to be paid within 18 months.
Final discussions and then… done deal. pic.twitter.com/khKe5EgeFc
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 28, 2023
With his transfer to Arsenal, the English International fulfilled his lifelong dream of playing in the UEFA Champions League. But he wouldn’t have gotten this far without the support of his incredible parents. Rice was born to parents Sean and Teresa Rice on 14th January 1999. His birthplace was Kingston upon Thames in Greater London.
Where is Declan Rice’s family from?
Despite being born and raised in England, he holds close ties to the nation of Ireland. The links to Ireland are a result of his paternal grandparents Margaret and Jack, who were from Douglas, Cork County, in Ireland. Taking this into context, it’s safe to say that Declan’s father also hails from the nation.
Given his Irish heritage, the midfielder briefly represented the country at a youth level. He made several appearances for Ireland’s U17- U21 teams, before going on to receive a senior team call-up in 2018. However, his stint as an Irish International didn’t last long, as he switched loyalties to England in 2019
Can’t believe Arsenal paid €121.6m for Declan Rice. A record fee for any player to have represented the Republic of Ireland pic.twitter.com/S2xwJz5Wb6
— Steve (@StevesWorldLFC) June 28, 2023
Speaking about his son’s decision, Sean Rice reportedly said, “I’m very Irish, my mum and dad were very Irish and Declan grew up in an Irish/English environment as a lot of people from London do. And so at the end of the day he had to make a choice and I have to support my son. I wouldn’t have thought for 100 years he’d run out in an England shirt but he’s got his reasons. It’s just a shame really — fingers crossed it all goes well.”
What team does Declan Rice’s father support?
While his son plays for the red half of London, Sean Rice remains a Blue at heart. That’s right, the midfielder’s father is a passionate Chelsea fan, and he is even a season ticket holder at the club. This isn’t entirely surprising, because Declan began his soccer career by joining the Chelsea youth academy when he was seven years old.
His father probably had a great influence on this decision, and for a while at least, Declan himself was a Chelsea supporter. This became apparent after the midfielder spoke fondly about the club on numerous occasions, and even stated that Blues legend John Terry was his idol.
Reece James has shared an amazing throwback snap of the his old Chelsea youth team including Mason Mount and Declan Rice.#ChelseaFC pic.twitter.com/jLeM6wvvEh
— Theo (@cfc5050) April 15, 2020
Of course, this isn’t the only aspect of Declan’s life that his father has influenced, as he is also his agent. Sean Rice secured a mega-money move to Arsenal for his son but something pulled him away from Chelsea.
Declan Rice’s potential move to Chelsea was scrapped due to a meeting with his parents
Former Chelsea assistant Jody Morris disclosed on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast that Declan Rice could have secured a move to Chelsea while Frank Lampard was the manager. Declan expressed a strong desire to return to Stamford Bridge but the deal could not materialize.
“I messaged Declan Rice when I was at Chelsea, and I asked him whether he’d come back, even after being released by the club,” Morris recounted. “I was always on Frank Lampard’s case, saying how unbelievable Rice would be for us when N’Golo Kante kept getting injured, and he wasn’t sure at first, but a month later he was all over him!”
Lampard also expressed his desire to bring Rice to Chelsea during his time as manager at the club. He saw him captaining the club in the next 10 years. However, reports suggest that after meeting with Rice’s parents, Chelsea and the player could not finalize a deal.
