Declan Rice FC 28 Review — Arsenal's Midfield Anchor
Rice is the Premier League's most complete CDM. A powerful, athletic midfielder who tackles everything, carries the ball forward, and shields the defence like a wall. He's the glue that holds any midfield together — and in FUT, he performs exactly as you'd expect: reliable, dominant, and everywhere.
Card Overview
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Overall | 86 |
| Position | CDM / CM |
| Pace | 76 |
| Shooting | 68 |
| Passing | 79 |
| Dribbling | 80 |
| Defending | 84 |
| Physical | 84 |
| Weak Foot | 4★ |
| Skill Moves | 3★ |
| Height | 6'1" |
| League | Premier League |
| Price Range | 25k - 50k |
In-Game Performance
Strengths
- Defending (84): Elite tackling — intercepts and slide tackles are automatic
- Physical (84): Strong, dominant, and wins every midfield battle
- Dribbling (80): Surprisingly agile — carries the ball forward effectively
- Height (6'1"): Good frame for midfield — wins headers
- Stamina: Incredible engine — runs for the full 90+ minutes
- Ball carrying: One of the best in the game at dribbling from deep
- Links: Arsenal + England = Saka, Palmer, Alexander-Arnold, Kane
Weaknesses
- Pace (76): Needs Shadow — can be outrun by fast attackers without it
- Shooting (68): Limited goal threat — occasional long shot but not reliable
- 3★ skill moves: Can't do advanced skills — strictly functional
- Passing (79): Good but not elite — not a deep-lying playmaker
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Best Chemistry Styles
| Chem Style | Boosts | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
| Shadow | Pace + Defending | Best overall — 86+ pace, 94+ defending |
| Engine | Pace + Pass + Drib | B2B role — better passing and dribbling for carrying |
| Anchor | Pace + Def + Phys | Maximum physical presence — immovable wall |
Our pick: Shadow. Rice with Shadow is 86+ pace, 94+ defending. At that point he's a dominant force who tackles everything and is quick enough to track back against any attacker.
Final Verdict
Rating: 8.5/10
Rice is the best CDM in the Premier League for the price. He tackles, he carries, he dominates aerially — the complete defensive midfielder. Shadow fixes the pace issue, and after that he's genuinely elite. The only thing missing is a goal threat, but you don't buy Rice for goals — you buy him for control.
Gameplay Tips for Rice
Rice is a card that rewards smart positioning over flashy skill moves. Here are the tactics and instructions that get the most out of him in your squad:
| Setting | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Player Role | Holding / Centre-Half | Keeps him anchored in front of the defense where he dominates |
| Attacking Runs | Stay Back While Attacking | His shooting is poor — no reason to push him forward |
| Interceptions | Aggressive | Takes advantage of his 88+ interceptions with Shadow |
| Defensive Width | Cover Center | Forces Rice to protect the most dangerous passing lanes |
In-game, use Rice as your midfield shield. When defending, do not manually control him unless absolutely necessary — the AI positions him brilliantly due to his high defensive awareness. When you are on the ball with Rice, keep it simple: short passes to your creative players. Attempting through balls or long-range shots with Rice is wasting his strengths.
Rice vs Other CDMs
How does Rice stack up against the other top CDM options in FC 28? Here is a direct comparison of the Premier League options:
| Player | OVR | Price | Pace | Defending | Physical | Key Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rice | 85 | 15-25K | 76 | 85 | 85 | All-round defensive beast |
| Rodri | 89 | 50-80K | 62 | 87 | 86 | Better passing and defending, slower |
| Kanté | 83 | 8-15K | 80 | 83 | 74 | Faster and cheaper, weaker physically |
| Caicedo | 82 | 3-6K | 78 | 82 | 81 | Budget option with decent all-round stats |
Rice sits in the sweet spot between Rodri's elite defending and Kanté's speed. He is significantly cheaper than Rodri while being more physical than Kanté. For most FUT players, Rice offers the best balance of quality and affordability in the CDM position.
Best Squads for Rice
Rice fits naturally into any Premier League or England squad, but he also works as a strong-link anchor for hybrid teams. Here are the best squad setups:
- Full Premier League: Rice pairs perfectly with Saliba or Van Dijk at CB, with Saka and Palmer ahead of him. Full chemistry with no compromises.
- England Hybrid: Link Rice with Bellingham (perfect link — both English midfielders), then branch into La Liga or Bundesliga through Bellingham's club links.
- 4-2-3-1 Double Pivot: Partner Rice with a more creative CDM like Rodri or Bruno Fernandes. Rice handles the dirty work while the other midfielder distributes.
- Budget beast squad: Rice at CDM with Kanté alongside him gives you two defensive monsters for under 35K total. Add Saliba and Konaté at CB for a defense that costs less than 50K but performs like 200K.
The versatility of Rice's links makes him one of the easiest cards to fit into any squad. Pick up Rice and build around him with coins from sellfifacoins.com — your midfield will never be breached again.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Rice is rated 86 overall — one of the premier CDMs in the Premier League.
Shadow for pace and defending. Engine for a more box-to-box role with better passing and dribbling.
Rodri is the better pure CDM — more physical and better passer. Rice is faster, more agile, and better at carrying the ball. Rice for pace, Rodri for dominance.
In a pinch, yes. With Anchor he has 90+ defending and is physical enough, but his positioning AI is better at CDM.
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