Josh Kroenke's personal messages to Arsenal's Declan Rice and what they talk about

Arsenal Director Josh Kroenke and Declan Rice share a love of golf (Image: 2023 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)

The bond between a football club owner and their players is typically distant, but Arsenal Director Josh Kroenke shares a unique connection with Gunners star Declan Rice due to their mutual love for golf.

Josh, 45, is the son of Stan Kroenke, whose Kroenke Sports and Entertainment group (KSE) took full control of Arsenal in August 2018.

Nowadays, Josh is often spotted at Arsenal games, and while he isn't particularly close to the Arsenal squad, his shared passion for golf has led to frequent private exchanges with Rice. However, according to The Athletic , it's unusual for players to receive messages from Josh, making his communication with Rice somewhat extraordinary.

Yet, an exception was made in 2022 when Josh sent a message to all Arsenal players who had qualified for the men's World Cup.

Stan, who had been a co-owner since 2007, later purchased Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov's 30 per cent stake for over £600million, concluding a lengthy battle for ultimate control of Arsenal. This acquisition increased the Kroenke's total stake to 97 per cent reports the Mirror .

However, KSE's journey hasn't always been smooth. Long before Josh started exchanging messages with Rice and attending games, the Gunners' hierarchy faced criticism for an apparent lack of ambition.

Josh Kroenke has expressed an interest in first team affairs in recent years (Image: 2024 The Arsenal Football Club Plc)

Stan, 78, rarely visits the Emirates. Therefore, when 16 supporter groups signed a letter and launched a petition calling on the ownership to show greater commitment and leadership in 2019, it was Kroenke Jr who responded.

Josh addressed supporters directly, changing Arsenal's trajectory over the following five years . "Is it hard to take? Absolutely," Josh said of the letter.

"But I'm not in this business to make friends, I'm in it to win. If anyone is ever going to question anything about our ownership - which I view as a custodianship, the supporters trust us to be a custodian of the values - that's what we're trying to do. We're trying to win whilst also respecting the values and traditions of the club.

"I've sat down with supporters' groups. I've not been afraid to sit down to have tough conversations with people because I'm transparent, we're transparent, we don't have anything to hide. We all want the same thing and we're all trying aggressively to make it happen."

Josh Kroenke attends games often (Image: PA)

The Kroenkes did deliver on their promise, with Rice becoming a significant symbol of their strategic transformation. Securing the midfielder from West Ham in 2023 represented a pivotal moment for Arsenal's owners, with the club outbidding several rivals for the £105m star's services.

They haven't wavered since. The Kroenkes have just sanctioned another summer of substantial investment as they seek to support Mikel Arteta in finally securing the Premier League title following three successive runner-up campaigns.

Big names like Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi have been signed this summer. Additionally, a headline-grabbing deal worth up to £67.5m was struck to secure Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

It's believed that Josh played a pivotal role in luring Eze to north London as the club sets its sights on clinching the Premier League title for the first time under their American ownership.