Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice believes Harry Kane should win the Ballon d’Or, calling the England captain’s performances over the past year “fantastic”.
Rice praised his international team-mate after Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich, insisting Kane’s goal tally and overall quality make him the best candidate for the award.
Speaking to TNT Sports, Rice made his feelings clear when asked if Kane deserved to be recognized as the best player in the world.
“He’s the clear winner,” Rice said.
“His numbers speak for themselves, he’s had a remarkable year. When you play with him, you realize how good he is and when you play against him, you see how painful it is.
“He’s ridiculous, such a good player and I’m lucky to play with him, not so lucky to play against him.”
Rice explains Arsenal’s goal against Bayern Munich
Rice also discussed his performance, revealing how Arsenal’s tactical approach helped him find space against Bayern’s man-to-man marking system.
“When you play against teams that are man-to-man all over the court, you have to apply certain principles,” he said.
“They follow you all over the field, but I lost my man and I just kept running and pulled my runner a lot and then I got in. I was very happy.”
The midfielder had special praise for Gyokeres, whose movement helped create scoring opportunities for Rice.
“Gyokeres is a very good influence coming off the bench. He made some great runs tonight and set me up for goal.”
Rice believes Arsenal’s willingness to attack Bayern at home reflects the mentality Mikel Arteta has instilled in the squad.
“That’s what the manager has taught us. We’re not just going to come in here and sit there,” he said.
“At home they are probably one of the best teams in Europe so it was great to come here tonight and give an account of ourselves. We have to keep going.”