Pat Rice

Pat Rice has spent most of his footballing career at Arsenal. Though born in Belfast, he grew up in London, and joined the Gunners as a youth in 1964. He made his debut in the League Cup against Burnley on December 5, 1967. Playing at right-back, he was a stalwart at the club through the 1970s, eventually becoming club captain. Rice won the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1970 and was part of the League and FA Cup Double-winning side of 1971; in all he appeared in five FA Cup finals, but only won two (1971 and 1979).

Rice played 528 games in total for the Gunners, before moving to Watford in 1980. He played 137 times for the Hornets, helping the club gain promotion to the First Division, and becoming captain, before retiring from playing in 1984. Rice also won 49 international caps for Northern Ireland between 1968 and 1979.

Rice rejoined Arsenal in 1984 as youth team coach, a post he held for the next 12 years, winning the FA Youth Cup twice in 1988 and 1994. In September 1996 Rice was briefly caretaker manager of the club after the resignation of Stewart Houston (who himself was caretaker after the sacking of Bruce Rioch). Upon the arrival of Arsène Wenger at the end of the month, Rice became his assistant, and has since played a key role in helping the club to their success in the 1990s and 2000s, including the Doubles of 1998 and 2002. He holds the distinction (along with Bob Wilson) of having taken part, as player or coach, in all three of Arsenal's Doubles.