For a competition, Declan Rice sometimes eats four pancakes covered with honey or syrup.
The way he had rooted Madrid on the spot in shock about the emirates, you would think he had scattered some of that glaze on their boots. For a moment Kylian Mbappe was as stately as his Madame Tussauds exhibition.
There was a time, back in primary school, when children would scream “bend it like Beckham!” And then the most overwhelming free kick you had ever seen.
Now Rice will be the next football player who has playgrounds throughout the country while boys and girls try to imitate what he did against Real Madrid.
And maybe it is no surprise that he is compared to Beckham. He is not only newly baptized Free Kick King, but he has the same fashionista streak, calls the former Manchester United star an 'icon', and has fought against a similar mockery of his relationship outside the field.
Rice did not surprise Madrid. Rice defeated Thibaut Courtois – for some experts Europe's best keeper – after hours of dedication on the training field, free kicks high, wide and in the sweet places he found at the Emirates on Wednesday evening.
First came the one he bowed around the wall, who was actually wider than the edge behind the goal before it turned in the corner before Courtois could happen.
The second was even better, Dimitri Payet-like. A smart work by Arsenal's Bijenkorf for the wall opened an opening, and Rice found the top corner so easily found as he found Real Madrid's midfield in his back pocket when he came home.
Beckham would have been proud. Indeed, his son Romeo was posted on Instagram: “Omg Declan Rice My Brotheererrrr.” They are in fact not brothers. She tells no blood, but rice hit his shots with so much grace and authority that Romeo, descendants of one of the Dead-Ball Groten, had no other choice than to feel kinship.
And for rice there is a meaning behind this. In 338 club matches and 67 for England he had never scored a free-t-goal. Now he has two of the most memorable in the style of his role model.
He revealed in 2022 that Beckham had been one of his heroes who grew up. 'This [Beckham, 23] Was my favorite shirt as a child, I remember that I went on holiday with my brothers and my family and non-stop was wearing this shirt, “he said, reflective on Madrid's first Galacticos era.
“It's iconic, with Becks on the back. Probably my favorite kit of all time.
'So many good players, clear Becks was the icon, to have this shirt and to have his name on the back was a dream as a child.
“Some assists he received for those players were great. So yes, I had placed Becks there, but R9 (Ronaldo Nazario) was my favorite. '
That first Galacticos team, full of people like Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Michael Owen and the Brazilian Ronaldo, 'won only one Champions League – before Becks arrived.
For Arsenal, a Champions League Golddust would be, a justification of their belief in Mikel Arteta, their publication to the Emirates and the image as an elite club. An Opta -Supercomputer has now made them favorites to win. Madrid is the last death.
Rice's humility and authenticity always shines in his interview, but he can drive up the death factor when needed.
Last September he ran the Labrum catwalk show during London Fashion Week, with an ice-cold expression and a distinctive marine suit with a white lace tire. He looked like the world's coolest butler. Oh, and also black trainers. I have to keep it casual.
The 26-year-old often attracts Prada equipment and in 2022 modeled for the cover of Circle Zero Eight Magazine. Fortunately, he did not rise a Muller rice about his costume that day. Have we already said that he is an ambassador for the pudding brand?
He also modeled the health of men and told the magazine about his pre-match diet last year.
'I have four pancakes for a competition. Covered with syrup or honey, “he said.
'I swear for God, it's the best … When I came to the club, I could [Arsenal] Players they eat and thought of myself: “What's going on here?” But to be honest, it has been a game change.
'I don't understand science behind it, what's in it or something like that, but it gives me such a high energy boost.
'That is why I can rattle so much around the field … If we play at 5.30 pm, I sometimes have eight pancakes a day.
“I will have something at breakfast and I have a little more at 3.30 pm before we play.”
The artistic vein does not stop when modeling. Rice revealed last year that he also loves photography. He carries out an Instagram account under the name Dr.JPG, which has collected more than 64,000 followers.
Unfortunately, the current content is rather worn – there are only five messages on it, and not all photos are taken by him.
That said, he has taken some great photos of his teammates and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and the surrounding area, sharing images that would not see out at the official Instagram grid of a club.
Other images include Chelsea's Noni Madueke with his first English cap after the victory against Greece, Harry Kane celebrated his 100th three Lions outing and Trent Alexander-Arnold with his player of the match prize from the same match.
Because of all this, Rice had his childhood love next to him. Lauren Fryer was previously described on MailOnline as one of the 'most beautiful people you could meet'. The duo has a two -year -old son, Jude.
Just like David and Victoria Beckham, however, the target of Spot, Declan and Lauren were similar, albeit for various reasons.
Last year, Chelsea fans sang a derogatory singing about Lauren when Rice prepared to take a corner. The English star ignored the songs.
She was also struck with a barrage of online abuse about her appearance, which led her to remove all the photos from her Instagram account, a reality that remains the case today.
The bullying started for the first time in December 2023, an anonymous account told midfielder Rice that he could 'do better'.
Lauren would be 'locked up' in the £ 2.6 million Surrey Mansion of the couple, staying away from competitions, while Declan was 'desperate sad' and tried to stay away from cruel comments that were thrown his way.
The more credit to Rice for the bull boxes by Madrid. All the more the honor for him because he is one of Arsenal's most consistent players week in week out.
On Tuesday evening he showed another side of his game, one of the added flair, his free kicks and ripening points that turn out not to be stopped.
Beckham once said about his famous free kick against Greece that, “as soon as I hit it, I knew.” From now on that can be a feeling that Rice is coming much more often.