Declan Rice isn’t just known for being a beast in midfield at Arsenal. He’s also got this really authentic London personality that fans absolutely love off the pitch.
Growing up in Kingston upon Thames, Rice picked up that classic London accent and all the slang that comes with it.
You’ll hear him dropping “bruv” and “my g” pretty naturally, which honestly feels genuine rather than forced.
His diverse group of friends from youth days probably had a lot to do with shaping how he speaks and carries himself.
That whole “man of culture” side of him came through in a pretty funny way after Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Spurs on Sunday.
The North London derby against Spurs felt like a massive moment after their frustrating 2-2 draw at Wolves.
Rice himself called the Wolves result “sickening,” so you could tell the team was desperate to get back to winning ways against Tottenham.
Eberechi Eze, who had already scored five goals against Spurs this season, opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a clean finish.
Right after the goal, Rice gathered his teammates for a quick on-field huddle to keep everyone focused and switched on.
Then things went a bit embarrassing. Just seconds later, Rice got dispossessed near his own box while trying to play out from the back.
Randal Kolo Muani pounced on the mistake, drove forward, and finished past David Raya to make it 1-1 almost immediately after.
Rice was seen apologizing to his teammates straight away, and the moment obviously blew up online with loads of memes about it.
Arsenal bounced back well though. Viktor Gyokeres put them ahead again early in the second half with a powerful and confident strike.
Eze then grabbed his second goal with a rebound finish, and Gyokeres added a fourth in added time to seal a 4-1 win.
The victory moved Arsenal five points clear at the top of the table, which was a huge boost for their title challenge.
After the game, a funny Instagram post from the account @thatguysjokes went viral, featuring a photo of Rice in a durag.
The fictional message went something like: “Oi Ez you bailed me out big time bruv appreciate you my g, be nice if you didn’t only score against Spurs tho bruv let it allll work outttt aha, wys tho Wingstop with me and Saks later?”
Rice actually liked the post, which fans noticed straight away and loved. It showed he could laugh at himself without getting defensive about it.
Nahhhhhh pic.twitter.com/rvyazlF994
— nas (@nas_nelli) February 22, 2026
Fans online had a lot to say about it. Here is what some of them wrote:
@nas_nelli -“LMAOOOO I actually respect the fact he can laugh at himself 😭”
@eggsovereze – “nah because i know he quotes these to the team when he sees it too”
@nas_nelli – “I know he’s making his own ‘oi saks’ in that dressing room smh 😭”
@sspicybanana – “Rice is one of the people for real he’s just a regular guy with an insane gift of athleticism 😂”
@youngfeliix – “Rice is chronically online 😂😂😂”
@saad_brofro – “Wingstop lmao”
@cfc_tobex – “You’re a casual, he always likes thatguysjokes post”
@LocalRussianMan – “He commented on one of these a few months back 😭”
There are currently talks about a new long-term contract for Rice, and moments like this remind everyone why Arsenal value him so much.
He’s a world-class midfielder who also happens to be a proper London lad, and that combination is why so many people genuinely like him beyond just the football.
