History of Declan Rice in Timeline
Declan Rice is an English professional footballer renowned for his skills as a defensive midfielder. He currently plays for Arsenal in the Premier League and represents the England national team. Rice is highly regarded for his passing accuracy, exceptional stamina, adept ball-carrying abilities, and strong tackling skills, solidifying his reputation as one of the top midfielders globally.
1965: 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 in the final a day prior.
January 1999: Declan Rice Born
Declan Rice was born in Kingston upon Thames, Greater London on 14 January 1999.
2006: Joined Chelsea Academy
In 2006, Declan Rice joined the academy of Chelsea at the age of seven.
2013: Joined West Ham United Academy
In 2013, after being released by Chelsea, Declan Rice joined the academy of West Ham United 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 at youth level.
2016: Won Premier League Cup
In 2016, Declan Rice won the Premier League Cup with West Ham United's under-21 team.
March 2017: Republic of Ireland U17 Player of the Year
In March 2017, Declan Rice was named Republic of Ireland U17 player of the year.
April 2017: First Call-Up to Senior Squad
In April 2017, Declan Rice received his first call-up to the West Ham senior squad for games against Sunderland and Everton.
May 2017: Named in Republic of Ireland Squad
In 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 United in a 3–2 defeat at Southampton.
2017: Became Key Player at West Ham United
By 2017, Declan Rice had established himself as a key first-team player for West Ham United after being released from 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, finishing behind Marko Arnautović.
August 2018: Omitted from Ireland Squad
In August 2018, Declan Rice was omitted from the Republic of Ireland squad to play Wales as he considered switching to play for England.
November 2018: Undecided on International Future
By November 2018, Declan Rice said he was no closer to deciding whether to play for the Republic of Ireland or England.
December 2018: 50th Appearance and New Contract
In December 2018, Declan Rice made his 50th appearance for West Ham and signed a new contract until 2024 with an option for an additional year.
December 2018: Meeting with Ireland Manager
In December 2018, Declan Rice met with the new Republic of Ireland manager, Mick McCarthy, who discussed building the team around him.
January 2019: First Goal for West Ham
On 12 January 2019, Declan Rice scored his first goal for West Ham in a 1–0 win against Arsenal and was named man of the match.
February 2019: Pledged Future to England
On 13 February 2019, Declan Rice pledged his future to the England national team.
March 2019: Rice apologises for pro-IRA comments
In March 2019, Declan Rice apologised for pro-Irish Republican Army comments he made on social media in 2015.
March 2019: First Start for England
In 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: Online Death Threats
In September 2019, Declan Rice reported receiving online death threats following his switch of allegiance to England.
December 2019: First Time Captaining West Ham
In December 2019, Declan Rice captained West Ham for the first time in a 2–1 home loss against Leicester City at age 20.
2019: England Debut
In 2019, Declan Rice made his debut for the England national team after switching his national allegiance.
July 2020: Premier League Goal Against Watford
On 17 July 2020, Declan Rice scored his first Premier League goal of the season with a strike against Watford in a 3–1 win.
2020: Won Premier League 2 Division 2
In 2020, Declan Rice won the Premier League 2 Division 2 with West Ham United's under-23 team.
2020: Played every minute of West Ham's league games.
In the 2019-2020 season, Rice played every minute of West Ham's 38 league games.
February 2021: Goal Against Sheffield United
On 15 February 2021, Declan Rice scored his first goal of the season with a penalty against Sheffield United in a 3–0 win.
April 2021: Ruled out with Knee Injury
In April 2021, Declan Rice was ruled out for four weeks due to a knee injury sustained while on international duty with England.
September 2021: European Debut and Goal
On 16 September 2021, Declan Rice made his European debut and scored his first European goal in a 2–0 victory against Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League.
2021: Named in the 2021-22 UEFA Europa League Team of the Year
Following West Ham's Europa League campaign, which saw them reach the semi-final, 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 and West Ham Captain
In May 2022, Declan Rice was named Hammer of the Year for a second time and was appointed as the captain of West Ham United following Mark Noble's retirement.
August 2022: Rice welcomes first child
In August 2022, Declan Rice confirmed the birth of his first child, a son, with his long-term girlfriend, Lauren Fryer.
October 2022: Goal Against Southampton
In October 2022, Declan Rice scored a goal from 22 yards to secure a 1–1 draw for West Ham against Southampton.
2022: Succeeded as Club Captain
In 2022, Declan Rice took over from Mark Noble as the captain of West Ham United.
2022: Hammer of the Year
In May 2023, Declan Rice was named Hammer of the Year for the 2022–23 season.
April 2023: Goal Against Gent
In April 2023, Declan Rice scored a goal against Gent in the UEFA Europa Conference League, carrying the ball for over 50 metres.
May 2023: Hammer of the Year
In May 2023, Declan Rice was named Hammer of the Year for the 2022–23 season.
June 2023: Europa Conference League Player of the Season
On 8 June 2023, Declan Rice was named the Europa Conference League's player of the season by UEFA, after West Ham's victory against Fiorentina.
July 2023: Left West Ham to Join Arsenal
In July 2023, Declan Rice left West Ham, joining Arsenal after playing 245 games and scoring 15 goals for West Ham.
July 2023: Signed by Arsenal
In July 2023, Declan Rice was signed by Arsenal for a club record fee of £100 million after making 245 appearances for West Ham.
2023: Arsenal Debut and First Goal
In 2023, Declan Rice made his Arsenal debut on August 6 against Manchester City in the FA Community Shield, and scored his first goal for Arsenal on September 3 against Manchester United.
December 2024: Goal and Assist against Crystal Palace
On 21 December 2024, Declan Rice, coming off the bench against Crystal Palace, scored and provided an assist to Gabriel Martinelli in a 5–1 away victory.
2024: UEFA Euro 2024
In 2024, Declan Rice represented England at UEFA Euro 2024, finishing as runner-up.
2024: Future Payment Structure
In July 2023, the structure of Declan Rice's transfer to Arsenal included West Ham receiving £50m immediately and a further £50m in the summer of 2024.
January 2025: First UEFA Champions League goal
On 22 January 2025, Rice scored his first UEFA Champions League goal in 3–0 victory over Dinamo Zagreb.
June 2025: PFA Players' Player of the Year Nominee
On 20 June 2025, it was announced that Rice was one of six nominees for the PFA Players' Player of the Year.
October 2025: Goal 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.
Mentioned in this timeline
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