Declan Rice opens up on quitting X and the mental toll of online abuse

Declan Rice has spoken candidly about the impact of online abuse on his mental health, explaining why he quit X three years ago and has since sharply reduced his social media use overall.

The Arsenal and England midfielder, speaking to GQ Magazine after being named among their Men of the Year, said a single negative comment was enough to derail his mood entirely. “You could be having a great morning. You read one thing, and it just ruins your whole day,” Rice said. “I’ve not been back on the app since.”

Rice still maintains an Instagram presence, but the abuse has extended beyond him personally. His long-term partner Lauren Fryer was also targeted online, leading her to delete all previous posts from her account in 2024.

Despite stepping back, Rice was careful to distinguish between his own situation and a broader concern he holds about younger generations. “I think social media for kids is 100 per cent a problem,” he said. “I don’t feel like there’s as much personality now as there was a few years ago.”

Rice described his ability to filter out external noise as one of his greatest strengths, though he acknowledged that managing what reaches him online has required deliberate effort.

The 26-year-old also turned his attention to the economics of modern football, describing the wages now on offer as “ridiculous” — a candid admission that carries some personal context. Arsenal signed Rice from West Ham in 2022 for £105 million, and he is reported to be close to agreeing a new contract worth around £350,000 per week at the Emirates.

“The money that’s in football as a whole is just ridiculous,” Rice said. “It’s important to understand what things cost, even if you don’t have to worry about paying for them.”

Rice, who has a son named Jude with Lauren, said the priority is ensuring his child grows up with a grounded sense of values. “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 was equally measured about his own relationship with wealth. “I don’t wake up and think: ‘Oh, I’ve got loads of money.’ It’s not the end goal.”