AT THE DOUBLE: Declan Rice AT THE DOUBLE: Declan Rice
Image: Reuters
DECLAN Rice admitted his geharde free-kick double in Arsenal’s stunning 3-0 win over Champions League holders Real Madrid was years in the making.
Rice scored with two kwaai free-kicks in the second half of the quarter-final first leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.
The England midfielder’s long-range rockets were followed by a Mikel Merino goal as Arsenal moved to the brink of reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2009.
ICING ON CAKE: Mikel Merino ICING ON CAKE: Mikel Merino
Image: AFP
It was an incredible result, made all the more remarkable by the fact Rice had never scored a free-kick in his career until the first of his set-piece blasts flashed past Real keeper Thibaut Courtois.
Rice says: “It’s been in the locker, but I’ve hit the wall too many times or it’s gone over the bar.
“Originally we were going to cross it and then I’ve just seen the wall and the goalkeeper’s position. So I thought just go for it.
“The second one I had the confidence. I hit it. I’m excited, I’m happy, I’m over the moon. But in a few years time this will really hit me that what I've done tonight was really special.”
Throughout his career with West Ham and now Arsenal, Rice has been known more as a defensive midfielder than a creative force.
But he has been determined to add more goals to his game, with some prompting from brasse and Gunners baas Mikel Arteta.
He adds: “Even at West Ham and ever since I've been here, everyone's been telling me to shoot more.
“It’s these little things and you’ve got to be in that mindset to score goals. I do have the ability to do it, but it’s a confidence thing.
“I’m always going to have critics, I’m always going to have doubters – that’s football. But as long as I can keep producing on the pitch and doing well, that's the main thing.”