Gary Lineker left in awe of Arsenal star as Mikel Arteta told exactly what £100m got him

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Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice has received glowing praise from popular TV personalities Micah Richards and Gary Lineker following the Gunners' latest victory and clean sheet. Mikel Arteta's side earned a comfortable 2-0 triumph against Burnley at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The result leaves Arsenal six points clear at the summit of the Premier League table after the opening 10 matches of the campaign. First-half strikes from Viktor Gyokeres, and Rice himself, ensured Arsenal claimed all three points against Burnley.

"It is interesting watching Arsenal, because we talk about them every week, and it is the same old story isn't it?" Richards, an Arsenal fan and former Man City defender, said on The Rest is Football podcast.

"They keep a clean sheet and they deny opportunities, they work really hard and I don't like singling out just one player, because I feel like it is a team effort and I have to give Mikel Arteta credit for building that. It looked like it was coming, couldn't quite get over the line, now it looks like it is back.

"But I have to identify Declan Rice. Declan Rice has taken his game to the next level, where you are talking about him being one of the best in world football.

"We saw him at West Ham , a very good player and I remember some pundits were criticising him in terms of they didn't know what he was going to be. Is he a defensive midfielder? Is he an attacking midfielder?"

Lineker replied with: "He has it all." His thoughts made clear in four words.

Richards went on: "He is everything. Exactly that. He is a box-to-box midfielder and I like him in the No.8, I feel as though he is wasted in a No.6. He can do everything and he is consistently putting in these performances, where we have to start talking about him as one of the best in world football now."

Lineker concurred with Richards' glowing assessment of the Arsenal midfielder, who is expected to play a crucial role for England in the upcoming World Cup next summer.

"I would take it a bit further back England, as well, if I was Thomas Tuchel - which I am not - and it is very easy just to be on the side-lines as we all know, but I would look at England and imagine having as your two No.8s, [Jude] Bellingham, Rice, up and down, and then a holding player, whether it be [Elliott] Anderson or [Adam] Wharton, or whoever it is, that kind of player," continued Lineker about the £100million man.

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"If you have got those two, and the amount of ground that Rice covers, the way he advances with the ball. He is such a mover. He is so quick once he gets in his stride and he covers the ground with or without the ball.

"He has got a real kind of smart side the way he thinks about the game defensively. He gets interceptions, he has got it all. His delivery from crosses and free-kicks is as good as anyone in the game - he just hits the money every time.

"Some players you see them young and you think he has got something this kid, but has he got enough to go a bit further, but he is one of those players who continues to improve and improve as they get older. I don't know him, I have never met him, but he strikes me as a really solid individual, who probably thinks about the game a lot."

Richards is equally impressed by Rice's character off the pitch. "He takes criticism really well," said Richards.

"And you know when you are analysing something - and you talk about positioning and all that sort of thing - he would agree with you and say I need to do better there, and that is what I am going to do next season. And that is exactly what he has done.

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"Our opinion is just our opinion. We speak about football, but he knows that, when I used to have them interviews when someone said you can do this but you can't do that, I used to take it personally and think what do they know.

"My reaction was to sulk - what is he talking about? But Declan Rice's attitude is I am going to take it on board and I am going to show everyone exactly what I can do. And that is what he has done. It is so good to see. If Arsenal do win the league this season it is because of someone like him.

"I mentioned at the start it is a team, but he is just exceeding all expectations."

Rice has been a key figure for Arsenal this season, featuring in every match across all competitions, netting two goals and setting up four more. The England international will be expected to be in the starting line-up when the Gunners face Slavia Praha in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.