“He’s a big baller” – Nigeria’s Alex Iwobi raves about ‘world-class’ Premier League star

Super Eagles and Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi has hailed Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice’s all-round ability as a footballer, labelling him a tough opponent to square up against, Footynaija.com reports.

Iwobi is currently enjoying a fantastic personal campaign for his London based club Fulham. The Nigeria international has been really massive for the Cottagers this season, starting in 32 of his 34 Premier League appearances and notching 9 goals and 6 assists so far.

Meanwhile, Rice has established himself as one of the most important figures at Arsenal since making the switch from west to north London back in the summer of 2023 when he left West Ham United for the Gunners.

This season, Rice has made significant contributions for Mikel Arteta’s side, recording 7 goals and 10 assists in 47 appearances across all competitions. Two of those seven goals happened to be a brace of free-kicks that helped Arsenal knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League.

Interestingly, Iwobi and Rice have faced each other on a good number of occasions, with the Nigeria international just edging their Head-to-Head record (6W, 1D, 5L). Nonetheless, Iwobi holds the Three Lions star in high regard and believes him to be one of his toughest-ever opponents.

“Nah, he’s a big baller. Even when he was at West Ham,” the 28-year-old Fulham star said of Rice in quotes revealed by TBR Football.

“Not only is he great technically, he runs everywhere, he covers every blade of grass. When I’ve played in midfield it’s annoying trying to track him and get away from him. 

“He’s good on the ball and he’s gonna work as hard off the ball. He’s a great player for Arsenal to have, and for me he’s definitely one to be world-class.”

Iwobi’s Fulham currently occupy eighth place on the Premier League table. The Cottagers have amassed 51 points so far, surpassing their 47 point tally from last season. They will now be looking to close out the season strongly, with their sights set on European football.