Rice honour richly deserved - Wenger

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger paid tribute to former assistant Pat Rice as "someone you could go to war with" after it was announced the long-serving Gunner has been awarded an MBE.

Rice made more than 400 appearances for Arsenal, helping the club win their first league and FA Cup double in 1970-71, while he also won 49 caps for Northern Ireland. Following his retirement from playing, Rice became a coach with the Gunners and then assistant to Wenger when he was appointed manager in 1996.

Rice, 63, played a part in two more doubles and the unbeaten league season of 2003-04 before announcing his retirement at the end of last season, 48 years after first joining Arsenal. Wenger said: "I am absolutely delighted because if someone deserves it, it's Pat Rice."

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