Declan Rice tells Arsenal teammates what he needs from them to get the best out of him

Declan Rice has told his Arsenal teammates how to get the best out of him. The 26-year-old has been a key player for both his club and country in recent years, and his goal-scoring prowess is also on the rise.

This season, Rice has netted two goals and provided four assists in just 12 appearances - an impressive feat considering he was left out of three of Mikel Arteta's starting lineups. Despite concerns over a back injury that surfaced during last weekend's victory over West Ham United, adequate rest has allowed him to continue performing at a high level.

Rice was involved in England's 3-0 friendly win over Wales on Thursday night - playing 69 minutes before being substituted for Ruben Loftus-Cheek. The Gunners' midfielder shone alongside Nottingham Forest star Elliot Anderson.

And speaking to ITV Sport after the game, Rice said of Anderson: "He has taken it all in his stride and is playing like he plays for his club. When you have a lad who is that confident and comes in and feels he does not have to do anything different, it's like autopilot the way he plays."

On how he got the best out of him, he added: "We have built up a really good relationship in midfield, we have had close relationships there, and we are playing closer together."

The England skipper for the night, in the absence of Harry Kane, was keen to build up praise on the youngster. Rice said: "We are building up a nice little partnership. The manager has really liked us in the last three games, and we just have to keep building on that.

"The World Cup is in the summer and there is still a long way to go. The more we can play together and keep building momentum will be really important."

One notable moment from Thursday's friendly was England boss Thomas Tuchel's dissatisfaction with the England fans inside the stadium. Speaking after the match, the German stated that Wembley 'was silent'.

When asked about Tuchel's comments, Rice said: "Look, it's always difficult.

"I think in the first half they were brilliant for us when we scored three goals.

"England fans always want to be entertained so when it was probably a bit of a more boring second half, I can understand where they're probably coming from a little bit.

"The manager just mentioned it inside, so hopefully we can keep winning and exciting the crowd."

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