Rice voices support for teammate Ben White and reveals he is close to renewing Arsenal's contract.

During England's 2-1 Nations League victory over Croatia at home on Thursday, Arsenal defender Ben White was booed by some fans when he came on as a substitute. Later, his national team and club teammate Declan Rice publicly voiced his support in an interview, revealing that he was close to finalizing a contract extension with Arsenal.

White left the national team early during the 2022 Qatar World Cup due to personal reasons and subsequently missed a long period of time until he returned to the national team after Thomas Tuchel took over as head coach. Although White said before the match that the outside world did not know the full story behind his departure, the boos from Wembley Stadium still failed to subside.

In response, Rice spoke frankly in defense of his teammate in an interview: "Ben's incident happened more than five years ago, and honestly, I don't understand why people are still talking about it. Knowing him as I do, he's completely moved on. Every time he puts on the national team jersey, he gives 100% with pride."

Rice highly praised White's strong mental fortitude in the face of boos and emphasized that the team had never discussed the matter, adding that White has an exciting future in the England squad.

Furthermore, 27-year-old Rice has confirmed that he will soon have new developments at the club level. According to media reports, Rice is expected to sign a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, which would make him one of Arsenal's highest-paid players, alongside Saka.

In a pre-match interview before Sunday's away game against Spain, Rice said: "I hope to sign a new contract soon. I am very fortunate to play for a club like Arsenal. The manager has given me a lot of trust, and my teammates have given me a lot of support."

Image source: Internet/BBC official website