Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Declan Rice

Discover the career path of Declan Rice, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

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.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

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.

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.

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.

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: 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.

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: Played in UEFA Euro 2020

Declan Rice was named in the England squad for UEFA Euro 2020. Rice played in all seven games for England at Euro 2020 where they finished runner-up in the final to Italy.

2020: Represented England at UEFA Euro 2020

In 2020, Declan Rice represented England at UEFA Euro 2020 and finished as runner-up.

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.

2020: UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches

On 13 March, he was called up by England for their forthcoming UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against the Czech Republic and Montenegro.

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.

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.

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.

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: Represented England at the 2022 FIFA World Cup

In 2022, Declan Rice represented England at the FIFA World Cup.

2022: Succeeded as club captain at West Ham

In 2022, Declan Rice succeeded Mark Noble as club captain for West Ham United.

2022: Included in England's 2022 FIFA World Cup Squad

In 2022, Declan Rice was selected for the England squad to participate in the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he started in all five matches. The team was eventually defeated 2-1 by France in the quarter-finals.

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.

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.

March 2024: Rice to captain England against Belgium

In March 2024, it was announced that Declan Rice would captain England for the first time in a match against Belgium, ahead of earning his 50th cap for the senior side.