Declan Rice Cites Mental Strain in Social Media Pullback

Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice has explained why he has cut back on social media, saying online hostility can affect mental health. Rice and his long-term partner, Lauren Fryer, have faced abuse online; earlier harassment aimed at Fryer prompted her to remove content from her Instagram profile. Rice said he left X, formerly Twitter, three years ago to safeguard his well-being. Speaking to GQ Magazine after being included among its Men of the Year, Rice described how a single negative post can affect his mood. 'You could be having a great morning. You read one thing, and it just ruins your whole day,' he said. He added that one of his strengths is 'the ability to block out noise and not deal with that kind of stuff.' Rice, who has a four-year-old son, Jude, with Fryer, also raised concerns about how constant digital exposure may affect younger people, pointing to what he sees as a decline in authentic personal expression. Turning to the finances of elite sport, the 27-year-old, who is nearing a lucrative long-term contract extension at Arsenal, said the sums in professional football are 'ridiculous.' Even so, Rice stressed that he wants to teach his son a strong work ethic and an understanding of money. 'You still want to teach your kid values, not wanting them to be spoiled. You want them to work and to understand the value of life and money,' he said. 'It makes you more comfortable to be able to do things. But I don't wake up and think, "Oh, I've got loads of money", it's not the end goal.' After the GQ recognition, Rice is set to join England for international duty. England will host Croatia in the UEFA Nations League before traveling to play Spain, the reigning World Cup champions.