Declan Rice displayed his leadership skills in a dramatic win over Wolves on Saturday as many believe the Englishman makes a better fit than incumbent Martin Odegaard
Arsenal talisman Declan Rice once again demonstrated his leadership qualities in a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Wolves. And the England international has already voiced his opinion on Martin Odegaard’s captaincy amid calls for a change.
Odegaard, 26, joined Arsenal in 2021 and has been instrumental in the club’s transformation into consistent title challengers under Mikel Arteta. Rice, also 26, arrived at the club two years later when Odegaard was already established as captain.
However, he too has shown the kind of leadership traits fans and pundits value in a skipper. This was evident during Saturday’s tense win over Wolves, where a last-minute own-goal by Yerson Mosquera clinched all three points for the hosts.
Instead of getting swept up in the celebrations with his teammates, Rice kept his cool, reminding everyone their job wasn’t done yet. The Gunners’ recent struggles seemed set to continue after Tolu Arokodare cancelled out Sam Johnstone’s own goal in the 90th minute.
Despite eventually securing the three points, Rice was visibly unhappy with another lacklustre performance. Meanwhile, captain Odegaard, who is still recovering from an injury, got caught up in the post-goal euphoria.
READ MORE: Arsenal recover from late Wolves blow to seal last-gasp win in thriller – 5 talking pointsREAD MORE: Mikel Arteta defends Viktor Gyokeres with brutal message to Arsenal teammates
Rice not only refrained from joining the celebrations but also appeared to chastise his team-mates for getting carried away against the Premier League’s bottom team. However, the former West Ham captain has already given Odegaard his full support for the captain’s armband.
“Martin Odegaard is our main captain,” he said back in November. “He’s incredible, but there’s also a group behind the scenes that help Martin out whenever he needs it.
“On matchdays, they have their own opinions and say things when they need to be said and I feel like that’s where we’re growing as a group now. If things need to be said, they get said, and in a constructive way, in a way that helps push other people. I feel like we do have more leaders now in the group than we’ve ever had, so that’s a really good thing for us.”
This stands in stark contrast to Arsenal legends Tony Adams and Anders Limpar, who have both backed Rice for the captaincy. Adams was bullish in the summer when suggesting Odegaard should be replaced by Rice, pointing to his character and superior fitness record, with Limpar offering his full support.
“If Tony Adams says Declan Rice should be Arsenal captain I will stand behind it,” the Swede told BoyleSports earlier this year. “I can’t say anything against my skipper, for sure. He is one of the best skippers there has been in the game and he has won so many things.
“What I’m saying is that it’s not even important because I can’t sit here in Stockholm telling Arsenal to swap to Declan Rice. But if Tony Adams says that they’re gonna swap to Declan Rice, I stand behind it.”
Many supporters have used social media to support Adams’ view that Rice should be made captain. And some have even suggested it could be the difference between them getting their hands on the Premier League title this season.
“Make Rice captain, it makes complete sense,” wrote one fan of the idea. “Arteta will live and die by what Arsenal win this season, at the moment it’s on a knife edge.”
Another posted: “Tony Adams was right, the captain’s armband needs to go to Rice. It’s a hard but necessary decision. Love Odegaard but he’s just not as influential or vocal on the pitch as Rice.”
The general consensus seems to suggest a two-horse race for the captain’s armband, with Rice being the frontrunner should Arteta decide to switch things up. However, it’s important to remember Bukayo Saka has shouldered much of this responsibility throughout the season.
This was the case again on Saturday when Odegaard began the match as a substitute. Yet the clamour for Rice to take up the captaincy seems to be growing louder by the day.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
