Inside Rice’s loyal relationship with Lauren and how pair defeated online trolls

Declan Rice is set to start for Arsenal in their Champions League quarter-final second leg against Real Madrid and will be cheered on by his partner Lauren Fryer

Declan Rice is set to have girlfriend Lauren Fryer cheering him on tonight as Arsenal look to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League. The Gunners are heading into the second leg with a three-goal lead thanks to a stellar performance at the Emirates Stadium.

Rice stole the show in their first clash last week, stunning the football world by scoring two spectacular free kicks in an unforgettable 3-0 win against Los Blancos. Arsenal are in a strong position to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2009, but Mikel Arteta's squad won't underestimate the reigning champions' ability to stage a comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Off the pitch, Rice is in a long-term relationship with his childhood sweetheart Fryer. Despite being subjected to disgusting online trolling in the past, which led them to take action on their social media channels, their bond remains strong. Here's a closer look at their love story.

Long-term relationship

Rice and Fryer met during their school days, and they've been an item since they were 17. Celebrating nine years together, Fryer has been by Rice's side throughout his football journey - from making his debut for West Ham United, becoming a £105million star for Arsenal, and playing for England at major tournaments.

The couple have opted to keep their romance out of the limelight. However, Rice couldn't resist a cheeky dig at his partner in 2019. He admitted that Fryer felt a tinge of jealousy over his bromance with Manchester United's Mason Mount, his childhood pal from Chelsea's youth ranks.

"My missus is quite worried. I'm genuinely being serious. She's quite worried," Rice told The Sun.

"Oh she's just always, 'You two, you love him more than you love me'. Honestly. We just get it in the neck all the time. But they need to understand the friendship."

The pair then decided to grow their family by adding an adorable cockapoo named Raffa, who even has his own Instagram fame, although the account hasn’t seen an update since 2022.

Making a rare public outing as a duo, Rice and Fryer rocked up at Reading Festival in 2021, notably spending time with rock legend Liam Gallagher after his headline set.

Hey Jude

In August 2022, their lives took an exciting turn as they welcomed baby boy Jude into the world. Rice commemorated this special arrival with a tattoo bearing Jude's name, birth date, and star sign.

The couple's baby news surprised many, given their decision not to broadcast the pregnancy online. Once the news did break, though, social media was abuzz with heartfelt messages for the new parents.

Online trolls

Unfortunately, late in 2023, Fryer became the target of horrible online abuse when an anonymous post went viral, unfairly criticising Rice’s choice of partner.

Consequently, Fryer deleted all of her photos from Instagram in April last year, but her account still boasts 98k followers. Rice also removed all images of Fryer from his profile, with his girlfriend opting to avoid online trolls by distancing herself from social media.