Declan Rice ‘up there’ with Steven Gerrard & Bryan Robson as ex-England midfielder admits admits Arsenal star is probably worth £150m-plus in the modern market

Liverpool legend Gerrard and Manchester United great Robson have both previously captained the Three Lions at FIFA’s flagship event - in 1986/1990 and 2010/2014 respectively.

Rice will hope to one day hold that honour, with the all-action 27-year-old widely considered to be next in line to fill the throne that Harry Kane currently occupies. There is no sign of the prolific Bayern Munich striker bowing out any time soon, but he cannot go on forever.

The armband will likely be passed in the direction of a versatile operator once Kane's boots are hung up, with England ready to embrace leadership from within their engine room. That has been a regular occurrence down the years, with some iconic figures taking on skipper duties.

Rice would appear ready for his coronation, whenever that day comes, with the West Ham academy graduate already - with a £105 million ($141m) transfer taking him to Emirates Stadium - the most expensive British player in history.

That record could go at some point in the not too distant future, but Arsenal have found value in a deal that raised plenty of eyebrows in 2023. Rice has helped them to bring a 22-year wait for domestic dominance to a close, while also gracing the Champions League final.

He has figured on a Ballon d’Or polling card and should grace many more across the campaigns to come. Quizzed on whether Rice has become the most complete midfielder on the planet, ex-England star Reid - speaking courtesy of BUDDS, the UK's leading specialist auctioneers of sports memorabilia - told GOAL: “I think he's a massive influence on the park. Top player, top player.

“Bryan Robson was a top player, so if I'm mentioning them two in the same breath, it just shows you how I regard Declan Rice. Terrific footballer. I've seen a lot of talk of comparing him to Bryan Robson. I think he's up there.

“I mean, Stevie G was an outstanding footballer, brilliant. He's up there in the top echelon of midfield players. Both sides of the game - getting the ball, handling the football, reading the situations, defensively, attacking-wise. You don't get any better.”

While Rice has made transfer history in the past, Arsenal will be eager to ensure that he does not make any more across upcoming windows. They have him tied to a contract through to 2028, with talk having already surfaced regarding a possible extension.

If he were to hit the market, then it is fair to assume that his price tag has gone up. Swedish striker Alexander Isak joined Liverpool for £125m ($168m) last summer - a record for British football. With that deal in mind, could Rice now be worth upwards of £150m ($202m)?

Responding to that question, ex-Manchester City and Sunderland boss Reid said: “I've been a manager and negotiated deals. The game now has moved on and there's that much dough in the game now.

“People are worth what people want to pay. You can put figures on it, but that's the way it is. We've got a World Cup with 48 teams in it now. It's all about that [money]. We've got a European Super League talked about. That's the way the game is, it's all about that.

“If he were to be prised out of the Arsenal - I don't think there’s any chance of that - it costs you a few quid, let's put it that way.”

That figure will continue to head in one direction if Rice is able to help England bring 60 years of international trophy heartache to a close. He is looking to follow in the footsteps of immortal heroes from 1966.

A few of those were West Ham raised, with Martin Peters forming part of that pack. He famously scored England’s second goal in a memorable 4-2 win over West Germany, and his spare jersey from that day is expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000 when going under the hammer.

That is one of several lots - including the shirt worn by Norman Whiteside at the 1982 World Cup, as he became the youngest player to appear at the tournament - coming up for grabs. Rice and Co will hope that memorabilia relating to their international exploits will one day be just as sought-after.

The BUDDS World Cup Auction will take place on 25th June 2026, with an online timed auction starting on 2nd June. More information is here, and for a free online valuation of any sporting memorabilia, click here.