“He will thrive off that” – Aaron Ramsdale wants Declan Rice banned from doing one thing as he prepares for Arsenal chapter

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale wants new signing Declan Rice to be banned from singing the "Rice Rice Baby" song at his initiation ceremony.

The English midfielder recently completed a move to the Gunners from West Ham United for a fee of £105 million. Rice arrives at the Emirates as one of the Premier League's best defensive midfielders.

Ramsdale, however, wants the player to be banned from singing his signature song "Rice Rice Baby" by Weird Al Yankovic at his initiation. The goalkeeper believes it will be too comfortable for Rice, and the former West Ham captain will thrive on it.

Ramsdale told TNT Sports (via The Boot Room):

“They will be singing, we will go to Germany and the US and there’ll be a night where they sing. That will be on social media for a period of time. He (Rice) will thrive off that, we’ve seen him singing Rice Rice Baby before. We will try to get that one banned because it’s so comfortable for him and see what else he’s got, but it’s a good laugh and the staff get involved as well.”

Ramsdale, however, is delighted to have Rice at Arsenal. Speaking about what the midfielder will bring to the team, he said:

“Energy on and off, he’s a loud character, he loves to make people smile and laugh. It will be good because we can bounce off each other, we’re both quite loud personalities, what he achieved at West Ham, he’s left there with great experiences and he will come to us and try to lift us."

Mikel Arteta spoke about what Declan Rice will bring to Arsenal

Declan Rice is one of the most technically secure players in the Premier League, along with being a physical presence on the pitch. He looks set to be a mainstay in defensive midfield for the Gunners for the foreseeable future.

Mikel Arteta recently explained the attributes that Rice will bring to Arsenal, who finished second in the Premier League during the 2022-23 campaign. Speaking about Rice, Arteta said (via the Gunners' website):

“His leadership, his aura, obviously the experience he already has in this league. He’s going to bring the team to a different dimension. He’s got the physical qualities that we’ve been missing for a while, that’s why we had to do what we had to do to get him, because he’s really important for us."

Granit Xhaka has already left Arsenal this summer, while Thomas Partey could also be on his way out of the club. Fans will hope Rice can integrate into the team quickly.