Arsenal star Declan Rice has reacted to his stunning free-kicks against Real Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners midfielder scored two stunning free-kicks to sweep Real Madrid away in the first leg of their last eight clash.
He became the first player in history to score two free-kicks in the same Champions League knockout stage game.
It was the first time in his career that he would score a free kick, and he responded by scoring two unforgettable strikes.
Rice has described his free-kicks as incredible on an historic night for the club.
He said: “I’m speechless, this has never happened to me before. This is the quarter-final and we know how much this night meant. It’s a real historic night for the club. I’m so happy.
“They [his free-kicks] were really good. To be honest with you, I’m not used to all of this praise and media and just people saying how good the free-kicks were! I’ve seen them back a few times now but I think I’ll be up watching it all night. It’s an incredible moment, I can’t believe it.
He revealed that he had been practicing the free-kick routine for a long time.
Rice said: “As soon as I hit the first one and it went in, I thought ‘that’s my first ever free kick!’ And then I just had the confidence over the second one. I just thought, ‘why not? What have I got to lose?’ I was going to go over the wall and I thought: ‘I’ve got the keeper’s side, on a good one.’ I’ve been practising that a lot.
“So, yeah, two went in and they’re just magic moments. They’re going to stay with me forever.”
Rice was also full of praise for the club’s supporters for the electric atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium.
He said: “Credit to the fans, they were unbelievable last night. From the moment we turned up in the stadium to the kick off and to the 90th minute, they were outstanding and we’re going to need everyone at the Bernabeu next week because it’s going to be a massive night for us.
“This is probably up there with the best moment in my career in terms of the goals I’ve scored. I think the free kick is probably the best goal I’ve scored. I think winning next week would probably top that, by going into the semi-final and producing something special for this club.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal coach, Mikel Arteta has revealed that the club is ready to write their own history in the Champions League.
He said: “When you’ve not played against this team for 20 years, you’ve not had a proper run in this competition, you have to be prepared to write your own history.
“It’s on nights like that, that you can write your own history. It came from the collective and individual quality of our players. And now we have a lot more to give.”
He also showered encomiums on Declan Rice for his match-winning performance.
Arteta said: “Declan’s been very determined because we have said in the last few months that we have not scored a direct free-kick in three-and-half years.
“So, to score two goals in 12 minutes of that magnitude and of that quality from the same player, a player that has never scored a free-kick before in his career, what are the odds?
“The night was all about two factors; one is the atmosphere that we created 15 minutes before kick-off with something I haven’t seen before. And then the magic, the individual moments that decide all matches. And the first two goals from Declan sum up the night.”
Declan Rice is also the fourth player in history to score two direct free-kicks in the same Champions League game after Rivaldo, Neymar, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
