Declan Rice vowed Arsenal will be “coming back for more” next season after losing his voice during a frenzied trophy parade that was attended by hundreds of thousands of supporters in north London.
Returning home after the disappointment of losing the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday night, Arsenal supporters were still in a jubilant mood as they celebrated a first Premier League triumph in 22 years, lining the streets around the Emirates Stadium and filling the air with deafening roars and bright red smoke.
Rice, who said he lost his voice after rapping Vanilla Ice’s Ice Ice Baby and leading a chant of “set-piece ole ole ole”, said he was “speechless” by the scenes of celebration. “Seeing the joy we can give people is crazy,” said the midfielder, who will be joining up with England on Monday ahead of the World Cup. “But next year we’re coming back for more. Get locked in or get locked out.”
It was not to be in Budapest for Mikel Arteta’s men, left to rue a cruel ending to a Champions League final of fine margins as PSG claimed back-to-back European crowns. Gabriel Magalhaes sent his spot-kick over the bar after a tense shootout settled a tight contest in Budapest, with the French champions emerging 4-3 victors on penalties after extra time. It was a result, and performance, from which Arsenal could take both encouragement and insight into where improvement is needed.
Rice spoke to TNT Sports following the defeat and labelled the loss as “devastating” – but drew comfort from the progress his side have made this season. “An incredible season, given absolutely everything up to this point,” he said. “We took the game to penalties and it’s a lottery. You either win on pens or lose on pens, some of the best teams ever have lost on penalties in finals and we were on the receiving end of that tonight.”
“That happens in football, they’re not going to be the last players to miss penalties in finals. Everyone’s missed a penalty and without them two this season we wouldn’t have won the Premier League, that’s for sure. Gabriel, I’ve run out of words for him as a person, as a player, and [Eberechi] Eze as well, the crucial goals he’s come up with for us this year. It happens, it’s football, it’s cruel. We take the positives and we’ll keep going.”
Members of the Arsenal staff followed on a second bus, while the women’s team were on a third bus parading the FIFA Champions Cup they won in February. An estimated half-a-million supporters were in attendance, with some hanging out of windows and standing on top of bus stops to get the best vantage points. Red smoke billowed around the nozzles as hundreds of flares were let off.
Myles Lewis-Skelly was not even born the last time Arsenal won the title in 2004. The 19-year-old, who started the Champions League final in midfield, told Sky Sports: “First of all, I’m so proud of the boys. “I’m proud of the organization in helping us get here because it hasn’t been an easy season. But obviously we’ve come to the end of the season and we’re champions of England.
“It’s disappointing because when you’re so close to a dream, a goal, you feel slightly short but as Mikel said, it’s added fuel to the fire, so we’ll use that.It means everything, just to share this moment with our people. It’s incredible because it’s a chance to pay them back for all the sacrifices they’ve helped us through.
“I’m going to see my family here as well. It’s going to be emotional, so I’m so excited. The last two weeks have been incredible. Just sharing those moments with the team, the people that you love dearly, that you go to war with. It’s amazing.
“For me, (the future) is bright. I feel like it’s the start of a new era and I feel like we’re ready to go and achieve our dreams.“(Arteta) has been so supportive of me over my whole journey, so I’m just so grateful for him and the trust he’s given to me.” Asked for a message for the fans, Lewis-Skelly added: “Thank you, and we’re not done!”
Includes reporting from PA
