“You play this next time”

Arsenal star Declan Rice received a special gift from singer Ed Sheeran following his excellent performance against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. The midfielder scored two consecutive free-kicks against Los Blancos in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

Arsenal beat Real Madrid 5-1 on aggregate in the UCL quarter-finals, with exceptional displays from Declan Rice in both legs. The first leg saw him score two consecutive free-kicks in their 3-0 win at the Emirates. The free-kicks also marked the first ones in his career. In the second leg, the Gunners beat the Spanish giants 2-1 with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli finding the net. Rice was named the Man of the Match in both legs, although he did not score in the second leg.

In an Instagram story this week, Declan Rice shared an image of a signed guitar he received from popular singer Ed Sheeran and thanked him for the gift. The British pop star congratulated Rice on his recent performances, specifically mentioning his free-kicks against Real Madrid. Sheeran wrote (as seen on Rice’s Instagram):

“Declan! You play this next time I see you, we’ll have a sing song. P.S. killer free-kicks!”

Ed Sheeran’s congratulatory gift also came after Arsenal’s smashing 4-0 victory over Ipswich Town in the Premier League (April 20). The singer is a minority owner of the club but had only appreciation for the North London side due to their stunning form this season.

“We want to win this competition” – Arsenal star Declan Rice makes objective clear after knocking out Real Madrid

In the post-match press conference after knocking out Real Madrid from the UCL, Arsenal star Declan Rice claimed that they aim to win the tournament. Arsenal have yet to win the Champions League in their history, which would make this a historic feat if they lift the trophy this season. Rice said (via ESPN):

“It’s just such a special night for this club. It’s a historic night for this club. We have an objective in this competition. We want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition.”

Rice also spoke about talks of Real Madrid making a comeback in the second leg after their 3-0 defeat in the first leg.

“There was a lot of talk coming here about them coming back because they’ve done it so many times before, but we had so much belief and confidence from that first leg that we had enough to come here and win the game. We knew we were going to suffer, but we knew we were going to win,” the Englishman said.

The Gunners are set to face Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in the Champions League semi-finals. This is the first time they have qualified for the semi-finals since the 2008-09 season, when they were knocked out by Manchester United at this stage.

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Pratyasha is a Pop Culture and a European Football writer for Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and has over 3 years of experience in the pop culture industry. Throughout her career, Pratyasha has always emphasized detailed background checks, and believes in verifying all information regardless of how correct it may seem.

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Pratyasha is an ardent admirer of Lionel Messi and has followed his journey since she was a kid; he inspires her with his hard work and dedication. She has grown up watching, living, and breathing Satyajit Ray’s cinema, which she believes is timeless. She loves Taylor Swift’s music and thinks she’s a lyrical genius, and also admires Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone.

When Pratyasha’s off the clock, she enjoys reading books and listening to music. During the football season, she is usually busy watching football matches late at night when Barcelona are playing.

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Edited by Pratyasha Sarkar