Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice, who scored two sensational freekicks against Real Madrid on Tuesday night says the enormity of what he achieved in the quarterfinal first leg has yet to sink in.
Arsenal’s Declan Rice after the UEFA Champions League quarter final on Tuesday (Pic – Supplied)
Rice, who has never before scored a free kick for Arsenal, found the back of the net twice in the space of 12 second-half minutes with two kicks of the highest order.
The first goal, which he curled around the wall with an extraordinary amount of whip, had commentators and fans purring. But he followed it up with an even better effort that once again beat the wall to lodge itself in the top corner of the net.
Rice’s brace and a third from Mikel Merino mean the Gunners will take a three-goal cushion into the second leg.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the game, Rice said: “I don’t know whether it will ever sink in. I’ve gone back to my phone then, and it’s gone crazy.
“To score my first free-kick in a game like this is a special one. And then when I got the second one. I just had the confidence. I’m speechless, really.
“To beat Real Madrid in this competition. It’s a big night for us.
“The manager just said that even if we’re 3-0 up, the individual quality Madrid have is scary. At the Bernabeu special things happen for them. We want to be in the Champions League semi-finals.”
Asked if he had heard from free-kick specialist David Beckham he said: “I’m not lucky enough to have his number. I’m just so happy.”
He then went on to describe the thought process behind the two kicks: “We were saying to cross it. When they were over a little bit, we saw the space, and Bukayo said If you feel it, go for it.
“I thought I’m going to take this. When you score a goal, it’s the best feeling in the world. It didn’t make sense from that angle to cross the ball. It would have to be a delicate pass. And when I saw the wall. It didn’t make sense to cross. You know what, I’m happy I took it because it was magic.”
On his second free-kick, he added: “It looks far out, you don’t even realise. Do you know what. We were going to touch and set it. Me and Martin Odegaard. But Mbappe was kind of stuck too close.
“But then I thought I’ve got the keeper’s side, I practice this so much, I was going to go for it. I had the confidence from the first one. If it went over the bar, it wouldn’t matter.
“I don’t think it’s going to hit me what I’ve done tonight. It’s a historical night, and to score two goals against Real Madrid.
“We want to win this competition. But we have to take it one game at a time.
“Even at West Ham, and ever since I’ve been here, everyone’s been telling me to shoot more. It’s these little things, and you’ve got to be in that mindset to score goals. I do have the ability to do it, but it’s a confidence thing.
“I don’t think I’ll sleep tonight. I’m delighted,” he said.
