Darren Bent has suggested whether he believes Declan Rice would get into the Invincibles team following what has been an outstanding first year for Arsenal for the Englishman.

There was plenty of pressure on the shoulders of Declan Rice heading into this season after Arsenal smashed their transfer record to bring him in from West Ham.

Quickly, Rice silenced talk of whether Arsenal were right to spend that money. It was almost remarkable how the 25-year-old settled into Mikel Arteta’s side; and he scored some crucial goals in the first-half of the campaign against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Luton.

You could not argue with anyone who felt that Rice was the player of the season in the Premier League. And this Arsenal side could still end the club’s 20 year wait for a title, with the Invincibles the last team to do it.

Darren Bent shares whether Declan Rice would get Invincibles team

Of course, that team was one of the greatest the Premier League has had, so it would be hard for any current player to get into that side.

And speaking on talkSPORT, Darren Bent believes that Rice would not quite get into the side, but perhaps only because of how recently he arrived at the Emirates.

“This is an interesting one because it’s Vieira and one other, right,” Bent says.

“You’ve got Declan Rice,” Andy Goldstein replies.

“You’ve also got Gilberto Silva, won the World Cup with Brazil, brilliant. Do I go Declan after one year with what Gilberto did? Probably not, so Gilberto Silva and Vieira,” Bent adds.

A pivotal moment in Arsenal’s recent history

If Arsenal go on and win the title on the final day of the season, many will point to the moment Declan Rice arrived as the key moment and a turning point for the Gunners.

He appears to be so important to the balance of the side, with his ability to provide the defence with additional support while also making an impact in the final third.

And he is so versatile, giving Mikel Arteta plenty of scope to target a wide range of midfielders over the summer.

Perhaps the debate over whether he gets in ahead of Gilberto Silva is one worth having again in a year or two if Rice builds on this superb first season.