Rice stunned the Spanish giants with two free-kick goals as the Gunners ran out 3-0 winners in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday, giving Mikel Arteta's men a significant advantage heading into next week's return leg.

His double sparked comparisons to legendary England midfielder Stevie Gerrard by Rio Ferdinand. However, ex-England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said he resembles former Manchester United captain Roy Keane as he argued the player is unfairly criticised.

"I have always said Rice has the potential to be the great English midfielder of his generation, and he showed why," Carragher wrote in a column for The Telegraph. "Too often he seems to be criticised for not scoring or creating enough goals, when that is not his primary function. He does not play in the same attacking midfield position as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard in their prime. To me, Rice has always been more of a Roy Keane, who scored 57 across his 473 senior club games.

"If Arsenal go through, Rice’s contribution over both legs will rightly be as revered by his supporters as much as Keane’s for United against Juventus in 1999. My suspicion is Arteta will want him and other stars such as Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard wrapped in cotton wool before they fly to Spain. Arsenal need a miracle to win the Premier League. So long as they prevent Real Madrid celebrating one of their own on Wednesday, they will have the consolation of being three games from one of the club’s greatest achievements."

Arteta may indeed opt to leave Rice out of the starting XI as his side host Brentford on Saturday before the return leg in the Spanish capital next Wednesday.