THE RIGHT TONE
Declan Rice and Ivan Toney become instant best friends at England camp in potential Arsenal transfer boost
Gunners' midfielder says it's 'easy' choosing which Lion he'd live with on a desert island
IVAN TONEY would have an instant best friend in the Arsenal dressing room should he move to the Emirates this summer.
That is because he is so close to Declan Rice that the midfielder would pick Toney ahead of all 24 other members of England’s Euro squad if he had to choose one to spend a year with on a desert island!
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Gunners star Rice was asked that exact question while sitting alongside long-term Arsenal target Toney on FA show Lions’ Den out in Germany.
Midfielder Rice replied: “It’s an easy answer, the man next to me.
“We’re on the same wavelength, we have the same interests, the same music. We like the same hobbies. We just get on really well, so definitely Ivan.”
Toney, 28, who is expected to leave Brentford this summer, added: “I don’t think we would be worried about being stuck, we would just catch (have) jokes.”
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The unlikely lads have been great pals ever since the maiden Three Lions call-up for Toney back in September 2022.
In fact they knew they would get on even before then because of how they interacted on the pitch when playing against each other in the Premier League.
Rice explained: “When I was at West Ham, he used to banter me on the pitch all the time.”
Toney elaborated: “He would do a diag (diagonal, crossfield pass), and, say it went out of play, I would say ‘good pass’.
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“We are kind of like the same people, (we have the) same interest.”
Rice, 25, added: “The way we are, how he is, it’s the same type that I like to be. It’s easy.”
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It is the latest bromance in the England camp, following on from Alexander-Arnold and Bellingham, Kieran Trippier and Jordan Pickford, plus Lewis Dunk and Dean Henderson.
Rice has introduced Toney to golf out in Blankenhain, while the duo work out together in the gym, play card-game Uno and are often the DJs in the dressing room.
Rice was excellent in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over Serbia in Gelsenkirchen, though Toney was left an unused sub.
Asked how Thursday’s second group game against Denmark in Frankfurt will differ from the opener, Rice replied: “We’ve played Denmark quite a few times in the last few years.
“Every game in a European competition is really tough. They’ve obviously got unbelievable individual quality.
“Serbia were very physical, very direct. I see Denmark being more of a technical, tactical team. It’s probably going to be a completely different game to what we’ve just faced.”
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