Declan Rice says Arsenal will be back after Champions League heartbreak | OneFootball

Declan Rice insists Arsenal will use the pain of Champions League final defeat as fuel to finally conquer Europe after their penalty shootout loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

The Gunners fell agonisingly short in Budapest after a gruelling campaign that saw Mikel Arteta’s side crowned Premier League champions before reaching the club’s first Champions League final in two decades.

While devastated by the result, Rice was determined to focus on the bigger picture and believes Arsenal’s upward trajectory will eventually lead them to European glory.

“We’re devastated that we’ve lost,” Rice admitted.

“A Champions League final, penalty shootouts are a lottery. You either win them or you lose them and tonight we were on the losing end of that.

“But that doesn’t define us this season.”

Arsenal’s defeat brought the curtain down on a marathon campaign which began almost a year ago during the club’s pre-season tour of Singapore and Hong Kong.

From those early preparations to a 63-game season packed with drama, Rice believes there is still enormous pride in what the squad has achieved.

“We started in July in Singapore and now we’re coming up to July again and the season’s just done,” he said.

“It’s our 63rd game in all competitions.

“We’re proud of each other. We’re proud of how far we’ve come. To get the Premier League over the line was a dream come true and to do this tonight would have been extra special.

“It wasn’t meant to be. That’s football.”

The England midfielder admitted watching PSG celebrate with the trophy only strengthened his determination to return to this stage and finish the job.

“We’re gutted, but we move on,” he said.

“There’s been so many top players who’ve taken so many years to win their first Champions League and that’s the way it is.

“Tonight we’ve lost. We’re going to take that moving forward and try and use these emotions and feelings to go on and try to win this competition in the future.

“That’s the feeling we felt on the pitch. Seeing that trophy, seeing them lift it, we want that. We want that success.

“So we’ll be back for sure.”

Rice pointed to Arsenal’s recent European progress as evidence that the club is moving in the right direction under Arteta.

After reaching the quarter-finals during his first season in north London and the semi-finals a year later, Arsenal have now taken another step by reaching the final.

The challenge now is to take the last one.

“My first season with Arsenal we went out in the quarter-finals,” Rice said.

“My second season we lost in the semi-final and tonight we’ve lost in a final.

“It’s the same with the Premier League. It was three years of coming second before we won one.

“Winning the Premier League was incredible. I can’t describe that feeling.

“Now in the Champions League, to lose a final, I’ve got that feeling of wanting to come back and lift that trophy.”

Despite the disappointment of falling at the final hurdle, Rice believes the future remains bright for a squad that has already ended Arsenal’s long wait for a league title and now has its sights firmly set on European success.

“I’m sure we’ll be back,” he said.

“This club has got really exciting times coming. It’s been on an upward trajectory over the last few years. After winning the league we’re going to go again next year. We’re going to be ready.

“We stick together and we keep fighting because that’s what we want to do.”