“I Miss Him Every Day” – Jurrien Timber Lifts Lid on the One Arsenal Star Whose Absence Has Shaken the Entire Squad: ‘Without Him, the Team Is Useless’
“It’s only now that he’s out that we truly understand how much we depend on him…” Those were the emotional words of Jurrien Timber, the Arsenal defender who has been candid about how one player’s absence has cast a shadow over the Emirates dressing room. And no—it’s not Kai Havertz. And it’s not Gabriel Magalhães either.
In a candid interview following Arsenal’s heartbreaking Champions League exit at the hands of PSG, Timber didn’t hold back his feelings. “I miss him every day,” he confessed. “Without him, we look disjointed, unmotivated at times. He brings the structure, the calm, the leadership—and most of all, the belief.”
The player he’s referring to? Declan Rice.
The £100 million man signed from West Ham has only been sidelined for a short time, but his absence has been felt like a gaping wound through the heart of Mikel Arteta’s side. Timber revealed that the locker room vibe has completely shifted since Rice’s injury, and players are struggling to adjust.
“People don’t understand how big Declan’s role is until he’s not there. Against PSG, we were overrun in midfield. If Declan had played, we wouldn’t just have competed—we would have dominated,” Timber said with visible frustration.
Indeed, Arsenal’s performance against Paris Saint-Germain was alarmingly flat. Despite having attacking threats like Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Martin Ødegaard, the midfield lacked bite. PSG capitalized on that void, exploiting spaces that Rice usually guards with authority. Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha ran rampant through the middle of the park, and Kylian Mbappé, sensing vulnerability, took full advantage.
Mikel Arteta tried to patch things up with a combination of Thomas Partey and Jorginho, but neither offered the balance, drive, and defensive steel that Rice brings. The stats tell the story—Arsenal lost 58% of their midfield duels, completed only 72% of passes in central areas, and were dispossessed 13 times in their own half. Numbers that would’ve been unthinkable with Declan Rice commanding the center.
Timber elaborated further: “He’s the voice in the middle. He’s not the loudest, but when he speaks, people listen. He reads danger before it happens. And more importantly, he lifts the team when heads start to drop.”
Fans have echoed Timber’s sentiments on social media. Arsenal supporters flooded X (formerly Twitter) with messages like “We’re lost without Rice,” and “Never realized how important he was until now.” Others went even further, claiming Rice has overtaken Ødegaard as the true leader of the team—emotionally and tactically.
While many had eyes on players like Havertz or Magalhães to step up, Timber’s words made it clear: Declan Rice is the undisputed spine of this Arsenal side.
With a crunch period approaching—featuring decisive Premier League clashes and the final stretch of the season—Arsenal will be desperate to have Rice back. But as Timber emphasized, “Even if he’s not on the pitch, we’re still fighting for him. That’s the kind of presence he has.”
For Arsenal fans, this revelation only adds to the growing respect and admiration for Rice. And if there were ever doubts about whether his price tag was worth it, they’ve now been silenced—not by stats or pundits, but by the raw, honest words of a fellow warrior in the dressing room.
One thing is clear: Arsenal without Declan Rice isn’t just weaker—it’s incomplete.
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