Declan Rice has heaped praise on Arsenal teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly, hailing the young midfielder's resilience and work ethic amid a season of fluctuating playing time. Speaking after Arsenal's Champions League semi-final second-leg victory over Atletico Madrid—a match where Lewis-Skelly started alongside Rice in midfield—the England star made it clear that the teenager's performance came as no surprise.

"We've always known what Myles can do," Rice said. "Last year he played so many games, and when he stepped up at Real Madrid away at the Bernabeu at 18, that's when I really thought, wow, we have a player."

Despite a breakout campaign last season, Lewis-Skelly has found minutes harder to come by this term. But rather than let frustration derail his development, the youngster has doubled down on his preparation. Rice noted that manager Mikel Arteta has been demanding behind the scenes, pushing Lewis-Skelly to grow even when not in the starting XI.

"Our manager this year has been tough on him. He's not played as much as he would have wanted, but what I've noticed is he's kept his head down and worked so hard," Rice added. "I'm not just saying that. He does everything right every day—in early, training, gym. Now he's got his chance, he's taken it. To be thrown in at the deep end in a Champions League semi-final and perform like that? It's no surprise to me. He's so good."

With Arsenal also leading the Premier League with just three games remaining, Rice reflected on the collective journey that has brought the club to the brink of glory. "I think about where this club has come from over the last few years and what we've been building," he said. "The narrow losses in the Premier League, going out of cup competitions—those things hurt you as a player. But the manager has taken full control. We've kept building, kept adding quality to the squad, and kept pushing each other."

Rice emphasized that the team's mentality has been key: "In this competition and the Premier League, we've gone full throttle. Now we find ourselves in a very good position with less than a month to go. It's all to play for. We've just got to stay composed and focus."

For Arsenal fans, the emergence of Lewis-Skelly alongside seasoned stars like Rice is a testament to the club's depth and culture—a blend of youthful hunger and veteran leadership that could define a historic season.