Declan Rice has finally silenced comedian Jack Whitehall, who once jokingly told the midfielder he would 'never win a trophy'. Whitehall, a passionate Arsenal fan, was among the celebrants at Selhurst Park as the Gunners clinched the Premier League title, and he admitted he had never been happier to be wrong.
Whitehall recalled a Comic Relief sketch in 2022 where he wound Rice up about his trophy prospects. 'I saw Declan. I had been winding him up about how he was never going to win a trophy. That was a cool full circle moment to be honest with you, as he was getting significant trophies as well,' Whitehall told football.london.
Before joining Arsenal for £104 million in 2023, Rice's only silverware was the Europa Conference League with West Ham. Since then, he endured two runner-up finishes, a Champions League semi-final, and a League Cup final defeat before the Gunners finally won the title. Rice also played in two European Championship finals with England and the 2022 World Cup quarter-final.
Rice was among the Arsenal players celebrating until 5am outside the Emirates Stadium and joined the party at Selhurst Park, where Whitehall also soaked up the atmosphere. 'I was down there, on the pitch, getting in and amongst it as the team celebrated with their friends and family. It was an amazing day and an amazing week,' Whitehall said.
Whitehall now hopes the celebrations continue with a Champions League final victory against Paris Saint-Germain. 'I hope it can continue to be an amazing fortnight in Budapest. I left the house last Tuesday, handed my toddler to my wife and I have barely been back since,' he added.
