History of Declan Rice in Timeline
Declan Rice is a highly-regarded English professional footballer. He currently plays as a defensive midfielder for Arsenal in the Premier League and represents the England national team. Rice is renowned for his versatility, stamina, ball-carrying abilities, and tackling prowess, establishing himself as one of the top midfielders globally.
2 hours ago : Arsenal inches closer to Premier League title, Rice and Arteta celebrate.
Arsenal is nearing a Premier League title victory, with Declan Rice and Mikel Arteta celebrating the team's progress after the Burnley win. The team's performance has been described as unconvincing.
1963: West Ham's worst defeat since 1963
On 11 February, Rice scored his first goal against his former club, West Ham United, in a 6–0 victory at London Stadium, which was West Ham's worst home defeat in the league since 1963 against Blackburn Rovers.
1965: West Ham's first major European trophy since 1965
On 8 June 2023, Rice captained West Ham to their first major European trophy since 1965 after a 2–1 win against Fiorentina.
January 1999: Declan Rice Born
In January 1999, Declan Rice was born. He is an English professional footballer known for playing as a defensive midfielder for Arsenal and the England national team. He is known for his versatility, stamina, ball-carrying, and tackling, and is considered one of the best midfielders in the world.
January 1999: Born in Kingston upon Thames
On 14 January 1999, Declan Rice was born in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, to Sean and Stephanie Rice. He began playing football at Dickerage Lane Adventure Playground in Kingston.
2006: Joined Chelsea F.C. Academy
In 2006, at the age of seven, Declan Rice joined the Chelsea F.C. Academy where he befriended future England teammate Mason Mount.
2013: Joined West Ham United Academy
In 2013, after being released by Chelsea at age 14, Declan Rice joined the West Ham United Academy following a trial period.
December 2015: Signed First Professional Contract
In December 2015, Declan Rice signed his first professional contract with West Ham United, two years after joining the club at youth level.
2016: Won Premier League Cup with Under-21s
In 2016, Declan Rice won the Premier League Cup with the West Ham United under-21s team.
2016: Won the Premier League Cup with West Ham United under-21s
In 2016, Declan Rice won the Premier League Cup with the West Ham United under-21s team.
March 2017: Named Republic of Ireland U17 Player of the Year
On 19 March 2017, Declan Rice was named Republic of Ireland U17 player of the year.
April 2017: Received first call-up to West Ham senior squad
In April 2017, Declan Rice received his first call-up to the West Ham senior squad for games against Sunderland and Everton, following impressive performances in the under-23 team.
May 2017: Named in Republic of Ireland Squad
On 23 May 2017, Declan Rice was named in the Republic of Ireland squad to play friendlies against Mexico and Uruguay and a World Cup qualifier against Austria.
August 2017: First-Team Debut
On 19 August 2017, Declan Rice made his first-team debut for West Ham in a 3–2 defeat against Southampton.
2017: Became a key first-team player for West Ham United
By 2017, Declan Rice had established himself as a key first-team player at West Ham United, after being released by Chelsea's academy.
March 2018: Senior Debut for Republic of Ireland
On 23 March 2018, Declan Rice made his senior debut for the Republic of Ireland in a 1–0 defeat to Turkey.
April 2018: Runner-up for Hammer of the Year
In April 2018, Declan Rice was named as runner-up for the 2017–18 Hammer of the Year award, behind Marko Arnautović.
August 2018: Omitted from Ireland Squad Amid England Interest
In August 2018, Declan Rice was omitted from the Republic of Ireland squad by manager Martin O'Neill, who stated Rice was considering switching to play for England after being approached by them.
November 2018: Undecided on International Future
By November 2018, having been omitted from three squads selected by Martin O'Neill, Declan Rice said he was no closer to deciding whether to play for Ireland or England.
December 2018: Made 50th Appearance for West Ham & Signed New Contract
In December 2018, Declan Rice made his 50th appearance for West Ham, becoming the first teenager to achieve this since Michael Carrick, and he signed a new contract until 2024 with the option of an additional year.
December 2018: Met with Ireland Management
In December 2018, Declan Rice met with new Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and his assistant, Robbie Keane. McCarthy said that Rice was a potential future captain of Ireland and that he would build the team around Rice should he decide to play for the country.
January 2019: Scored First Goal for West Ham
In January 2019, Declan Rice scored his first goal for West Ham and was named man of the match in a 1–0 win against Arsenal in West Ham's 50th Premier League game at the London Stadium.
February 2019: Pledged Future to England
On 13 February 2019, Declan Rice pledged his future to England.
March 2019: Rice apologizes for pro-IRA comments
In March 2019, Declan Rice issued an apology for pro-Irish Republican Army comments he had made on social media in 2015.
March 2019: First Start for England
On 25 March 2019, England manager Gareth Southgate handed Declan Rice his first start for the national side during a 5–1 victory over Montenegro.
September 2019: Received Death Threats After Switching Allegiance
In September 2019, Declan Rice said that he had received online death threats after switching allegiance to England. He was the first player to play for both countries since Jack Reynolds in the 1890s.
December 2019: Captained West Ham for the First Time
In December 2019, at the age of 20, Declan Rice captained West Ham for the first time in a 2–1 home loss against Leicester City.
2019: Made England Debut
In 2019, Declan Rice made his debut for the England national team, after switching his national allegiance.
July 2020: Scored First Premier League Goal of the Season
On 17 July 2020, Declan Rice scored his first and only Premier League goal of the season with an outside-the-box strike against Watford in a 3–1 win.
2020: Won Premier League 2 Division 2 with West Ham United under-23s
In 2020, Declan Rice won the Premier League 2 Division 2 with the West Ham United under-23s team.
2020: Played every minute of West Ham's league games
In the 2019–2020 season, Declan Rice played every minute of West Ham's 38 league games. He was named Hammer of the Year for the first time in 2020.
February 2021: Scored first goal of the season
On 15 February 2021, Declan Rice scored his first goal of the season by converting a penalty against Sheffield United.
April 2021: Ruled out with knee injury
In April 2021, Declan Rice was ruled out for four weeks with a knee injury picked up on international duty with England, having played in all of West Ham's games so far in the 2020–21 season.
September 2021: European Debut and Goal
On 16 September 2021, Declan Rice made his European debut and scored his debut European goal in a 2–0 away victory over Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.
2021: Named in UEFA Europa League Team of the Year
Following West Ham's Europa League campaign, which saw them reach the semi-final, Declan Rice was named in the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League Team of the Year alongside teammate Craig Dawson.
May 2022: Named Hammer of the Year & West Ham Captain
In May 2022, Declan Rice was named as Hammer of the Year for a second time and was named as captain of West Ham following Mark Noble's retirement.
August 2022: Birth of first child
In August 2022, Declan Rice confirmed the birth of his first child, a son, with his long-term girlfriend, Lauren Fryer. He also has a tattoo of his son's name on his arm.
October 2022: Scored against Southampton
On 16 October 2022, Declan Rice scored a curling effort from 22 yards (20 m) to secure West Ham a point in a 1–1 draw against Southampton.
2022: Won possession more than any other Premier League Player
During the 2022–23 season, Declan Rice won possession more than any other Premier League player. He also made the most interceptions of all Premier League players.
2022: Succeeded as club captain at West Ham
In 2022, Declan Rice succeeded Mark Noble as club captain for West Ham United.
April 2023: Scored against Gent
On 20 April 2023, Declan Rice scored West Ham's third goal in a 4–1 win in the UEFA Europa Conference League against Belgian side Gent, carrying the ball for more than 50 metres before scoring.
May 2023: Named Hammer of the Year for the 2022-23 Season
In May 2023, Declan Rice was named Hammer of the Year for the 2022–23 season.
June 2023: Named Europa Conference League Player of the Season
On 8 June 2023, Declan Rice was named as the Europa Conference League's player of the season by UEFA after captaining West Ham to their first major European trophy since 1965.
July 2023: Left West Ham, Joining Arsenal
In July 2023, Declan Rice left West Ham, joining Arsenal. He played 245 games for West Ham, scoring 15 goals.
July 2023: Signed by Arsenal for a club record fee
In July 2023, Declan Rice was signed by Arsenal for a club record fee of £100 million after making 245 appearances for West Ham, making him the joint-most-expensive English player in history.
July 2023: Signed with Arsenal
On 15 July 2023, Declan Rice signed for Premier League club Arsenal on a long-term contract for a club-record fee.
2023: Arsenal Debut and First Goal
In 2023, Declan Rice made his Arsenal debut against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield, which Arsenal won on penalties. He scored his first goal for Arsenal against Manchester United in September of 2023.
December 2024: Scored and Provided Assist Against Crystal Palace
On 21 December 2024, Declan Rice scored and provided an assist to teammate Gabriel Martinelli in a 5–1 away victory against Crystal Palace.
2024: Represented England at UEFA Euro 2024
In 2024, Declan Rice represented England at UEFA Euro 2024 and finished as runner-up.
2024: Signed contract until 2024
In December 2018, Declan Rice signed a new contract until 2024 with the option of an additional year with West Ham.
2024: Arsenal will pay West Ham.
The transfer structure was given as West Ham receiving £50m immediately and a further £50m in the summer of 2024.
January 2025: Scored First UEFA Champions League Goal
On 22 January 2025, Declan Rice scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in a 3–0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.
June 2025: Nominee for PFA Players' Player of the Year
On 20 June 2025, it was announced that Declan Rice was one of six nominees for the PFA Players' Player of the Year.
October 2025: Scored against West Ham United
On 5 October 2025, Declan Rice scored his first goal of the season against his former club, West Ham United, in a 2–0 Premier League home win.
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