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Declan Rice went to the World Cup surrounded by England team-mates who had won the biggest prizes in the game \u2013 now he is a \u00a3105million player who insists he is not fazed by the price tag having lifted European silverware and instantly taken to Champions League football.<\/p>\n
The 24-year-old admitted a year ago in Qatar that he wanted to play at the highest level and left West Ham in the summer after captaining them to Europa Conference League glory.<\/p>\n
Rice moved across London to Arsenal, joining the Gunners for a club-record fee and has hit the ground running with a run of fine performances for Mikel Arteta\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
While previous big-money signings have seemingly been weighed down by hefty price tags, Rice has flourished in spite of it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the transfer was going through I was very nervous because of the price tag,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s natural to think about that. You\u2019re a human being bought for \u00a3105m, it doesn\u2019t feel very normal. But that was because of what I\u2019d done at West Ham, what they valued me at.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I signed for Arsenal, I just thought I just need to be Declan Rice, be myself, don\u2019t be any different, everything will go smoothly.<\/p>\n
You\u2019re a human being bought for \u00a3105million, it doesn\u2019t feel very normal<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first three weeks of pre-season were really tough in terms of the change. When you\u2019re at a new job you start to feel really settled after a few weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat really feels the case now. In terms of the price tag, I don\u2019t really think about it, I just play the games and try to play as well as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I just try to play my football. I don\u2019t let it affect me in any way, shape or form. I just go to training, try to train as well as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice\u2019s England colleague Jack Grealish admitted he found talk of his \u00a3100m move to Manchester City \u201cannoying\u201d and that more was expected of him as a result of the big fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s \u00a3100m, it\u2019s a lot of money, I could understand the pressure that comes with it,\u201d added Rice.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot only the pressure you put on yourself but there\u2019s an expectation of being bought for that much money we need to see performances straight away.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to repay the club back straight away, they have invested a lot of money in me, I need to prove why I can go there and change things.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can see why Jack struggled maybe at the start \u2013 mentally. He was a \u00a3100m footballer but as he wasn\u2019t playing as much, it was probably as bit different for him. Now he\u2019s flying and it\u2019s the same for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CyzDClKNYW8<\/p>\n
Rice insists he always had faith in his ability to step up to the highest level and he has shone particularly brightly on Arsenal\u2019s Champions League nights so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won the trophy at West Ham, which was another level. It was incredible for me and the club. Now I\u2019ve been playing on Champions League nights and been playing relatively well, but it\u2019s something I always believed I could do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was just waiting for my chance and my opportunity. Every game that\u2019s coming now, I\u2019m just trying to take it step by step and perform on the biggest stage.<\/p>\n
\u201cSpeaking honestly, I feel I was playing as well at West Ham in my last season. Even though we didn\u2019t have the best season as a team, I feel like I kicked on again. You never want to stay stale as a footballer.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re always looking to improve, always looking to get better. I still feel there\u2019s so many more levels I can get to. It\u2019s just about being eager to learn, practising on the training pitch, and always listening as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rice has also called on England to end an unbeaten 2023 with a \u201cbang\u201d by winning their final Euro 2024 qualifier away to North Macedonia on Monday.<\/p>\n
England have not suffered defeat since their World Cup quarter-final exit at the hands of France last December and sealed their spot at next summer\u2019s finals with two games to spare.<\/p>\n
After a drab 2-0 win over Malta on Friday, Rice is keen for England to put in a better showing to bring the curtain down on a strong calendar year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think especially the other night after Malta there is just a bit of pride in ourselves that we need to raise our level,\u201d the Arsenal midfielder said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to put out a statement and it would be a good way to end the year. We are currently unbeaten since the World Cup so it is down to us to go out tomorrow night, put on a performance.\u201d<\/p>\n