New Delhi, Jul 14 (IANS): Ahead of the Euro Cup 2024 final on Monday Declan Rice’s former captain and mentor Mark Noble has sent a message to the Arsenal midfielder as he gets set for the most important match in his career.

“Declan Rice, I’ve said from day one you are a special person, a special man. People talk about pressure, you remember what I first said to you when we started playing. It’s the same size ball, it's the same colour grass, the same size goals. I have always said to you to ‘be Declan Rice,’ there is no need to be anyone else because the Declan Rice that I know is one of the best football players on the planet. Just enjoy every second my friend. You are a true inspiration to millions and millions around the world, you got this my friend,” said Mark Noble in a video posted by Adidas UK on X.

Mark Noble was Declan Rice’s captain at West Ham. The former midfielder is one of the biggest legends in the history of the Hammers as he spent 18 years at the cub as a player and then went on to join as the Sporting Director at the East London based club.

Rice had replaced Mark as the captain of the club and led the team to the Europa Conference League victory in 2023.

Rice has so far covered the most distance in the tournament having ran over 63.9 kilometers and has been one of the most important players in the team. Despite not having a set midfielder partner for Rice and the side also having to play two games which went into extra-time, the 25-year old has put in tireless shifts throughout.

The video was part of Adidas’ Euro campaign which also included a ‘Hey Jude’ rendition with the song by the Beatles and Jude Bellingham showcasing the Real Madrid midfielder as the ray of hope in the country.