DECLAN RICE warned Christian Norgaard that Mikel Arteta “doesn’t care who you are” after he struggled to adapt to life at Arsenal.
Norgaard, 32, left after just 12 months this summer, joining in a deal worth around £7million.
The Dane failed to impress during his time in North London and was limited to just a handful of minutes.
Norgaard started just ONE Premier League game as the Gunners ended their 22-year wait for title glory, and managed only 10 starts across all other competitions.
Rice reckons that was down to the midfielder grappling with Mikel Arteta’s intense management style, which can take players a long time to understand.
Speaking to British GQ after being named one of their 2026 Men of the Year, Rice recalled pulling Norgaard aside after noticing he was finding it hard to adjust.
Rice remembers telling him: “You’re not going to grasp this for like six, seven months.
“With our manager, he doesn’t care who you are. You’re getting detail. You’re going into the game knowing everything.”
Even Rice, who has become one of Arteta’s top performers and most reliable players, struggled to get to grips with Arteta’s methods when he first joined from in 2023.
The 27-year-old had to change his game from his time with the Hammers, becoming more of a cog in the machine rather than a free spirit on the pitch.
He said: “I think now I fully understand his game plan. It took me about a year.
“[At West Ham] I kind of just did what I wanted, it was freestyle.”
Arteta has already asked Rice to play a different role this season, giving the midfielder even less license to maraud up the pitch.
And even after spending three years under Arteta’s management, Rice is facing the challenge of a more mentally taxing role.
He said: “It’s not just about running around physically.
“It’s also tiring on the mind. I’m coaching on the pitch, as well as playing. So it’s two things in one.”
