Declan Rice Opens Up on Social Media Usage and Quitting Twitter

Declan Rice left X, formerly Twitter, three years ago as negative comments on the platform could affect his mental wellbeing, the Arsenal midfielder has told British GQ.

The Arsenal midfielder discussed the decision in an interview with the magazine after being named among its Men of the Year.

He covers the December 2026 Men of the Year issue, which also features Sebastian Stan, RAYE and Fakemink.

“I've not been on X in three years,” Rice said. You could be having a great morning. You read one thing, and it just ruins your whole day.

“I feel like that's one of my strongest points... the ability to block out noise and not deal with that kind of stuff.

The 27-year-old also warned about social media’s impact on children, describing it as a major problem.

“Screen time, for me, isn't a big thing. I think social media for kids is 100 per cent a problem. I don't feel like there's as much personality now as there was a few years ago.”

Rice and his partner, Lauren Fryer, have previously faced online abuse, including comments about her appearance.

In April 2024, Fryer deleted all the posts from her Instagram account after trolls targeted how she looked.

Rice defended Fryer in a public statement at the time, calling her ‘the love of his life’. Former Love Island contestant Liberty Poole was among those who criticised the abuse.

The GQ interview also covered Rice’s football. He said it took about a year to fully understand manager Mikel Arteta’s game plan, and that Arteta intends to use him more often as a defensive midfielder this season.

Rice also recalled being released by Chelsea’s academy at 14. He said he doubted his readiness for the Premier League after being substituted at half-time in a 2018 defeat to Liverpool with West Ham, and that such moments strengthened his determination to prove critics wrong.

He joined Arsenal from West Ham in July 2023 for £105m, making him the most expensive British player in history. He had helped West Ham win the Conference League that June.

Rice played in two of Arsenal’s three consecutive second-place finishes before the club won the title. Arsenal were confirmed as 2025-26 Premier League champions on 19 May after Manchester City drew 1-1 at Bournemouth, ending a 22-year wait.

Rice made 36 league appearances last season, scoring four goals and setting up five. Arsenal then lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties in Budapest on 30 May, after a 1-1 draw. The club had conceded only six goals on the run to that final.

He later helped England finish third at the World Cup, scoring and providing an assist in their 6-4 win over France in the third-place play-off in July.

This season, Rice has started all ten of Arsenal’s Premier League games, registering five assists. His only goal of the campaign came in the 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League.

Arsenal lead the table on 27 points after nine wins in ten games, five clear of Brighton. They face Newcastle United on 21 November.