I often take the 65 bus from Richmond to Kingston in southwest London and travel just past Grey Court comprehensive school in Ham. This is the school Declan Rice attended and I can’t help thinking about the youngster kicking a ball around in the playground, a little acorn back then who has grown into a magnificent oak.

His two free kicks in Arsenal’s victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals were superb in their execution and audacity, but what struck me most watching these matches is just how impressive Rice has become in almost every aspect of the game. He found space with intelligence, tackled with precision and rallied team-mates with conviction. Remarkable to consider that almost every one of his early coaches