Declan Rice sends three-word message to Christian Norgaard as Arsenal feelings made clear

Declan Rice and Christian Norgaard both started Arsenal's first pre-season friendly in Singapore as Mikel Arteta's side beat AC Milan 1-0.

Bukayo Saka's strike in the second half was enough to separate the sides as plenty of the Gunners squad got decent minutes in the tank. It was the first time Arsenal supporters have seen Norgaard in action, with the tough-tackling midfielder making the move from Brentford this summer.

Signing a two-year contract in a deal worth £12million, Norgaard will offer extra depth to the Gunners midfield, along with fellow summer signing Martin Zubimendi. Norgaard started at the base of midfield against AC Milan on Wednesday, with Rice and Ethan Nwaneri either side of him.

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The Dane impressed in his 45 minutes on the pitch and at one point even whipped in a fine delivery from the right that Alexis Saelemaekers dealt well with when Gabriel Martinelli was on his shoulder. Rice himself was afforded 65 minutes of action and on Thursday the midfield duo spent some time together away from the football pitch and instead on the golf course.

Rice shared a snap of the two in Singapore on the golf course on his Instagram account with the caption: "New golf partner." While he will undoubtedly want to improve his golf game, Norgaard's first priority is to get fit for the Premier League season opener against Manchester United on August 17, while he has previously admitted his excitement at playing in the Champions League.

“You can get almost emotional because maybe it was a dream that I've given a little bit up on coming towards the later stage in my career,” the 31-year-old said when he signed for Arsenal. “I've just turned 31 and had signed a new deal with Brentford. Of course, there's always a little chance that a miracle could happen with Brentford, but it was probably unrealistic to play Champions League with them.

“Now, I get to hear the anthem and be a part of a Champions League campaign. It's a childhood dream and something I didn't think would be possible. So it's something I'm really, really happy about.”

On why the club signed Norgaard, Arteta said: "We’re delighted to welcome Christian to Arsenal. He is an international player with a wealth of experience of the Premier League. He has proven leadership skills and a strong character which will be invaluable to our squad.

"He is a strong midfielder with excellent tactical awareness and versatility. He also has physical presence and intelligence which will give us added depth and balance. Christian will bring a lot to the group both on and off the pitch, and we’re excited to start working with him in this next chapter of his career. We welcome Christian and his family to Arsenal.”