is a true Arsenal legend and has committed almost his whole life to Arsenal Football Club, which shows huge loyalty and devotion to this club...I will always be indebted to him for his expert insight into Arsenal and football as a whole. On the training pitches and on matchdays, Pat has always been a passionate, loyal and insightful colleague, who we will all miss." His replacement was former Arsenal player Steve Bould. Rice was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to sport. Personal life Pat Rice started training at Arsenal at age 14 and would spend all his spare time developing his fitness and football skills. Jon Sammels memory of Rice as a schoolboy who once requested Sammels autograph, "He [Pat] used to live down the road and his brother, Alf used to have the hairdressers at the bottom of Avenell Road where a lot of the lads used to get their hair cut. Pat was always outside kicking a ball around". Getty images pictured Rice, with his wife Betty holding son Stephen as a child, taken at their Cockfosters home in 1975. Rice co-wrote with Steve Stammers his own regular football column, in the 1970s for the now defunct 'London Evening News'. In November 2013 it was announced that Rice had been admitted to hospital for cancer treatment. After making a recovery in March 2014, he returned to The Emirates at half-time during an FA Cup game against Everton, making a joke about Spurs. The Gunners went on to win the game 4–1. After retiring from full time coaching Rice became an Arsenal scout. Honours Player Arsenal Youth FA Youth Cup: 1966 Arsenal Football League First Division: 1970–71 FA Cup: 1970–71, 1978–79 Watford Football League Second Division runner–up: 1981–82 Youth Team Manager Arsenal FA Youth Cup: 1988, 1994 Assistant Manager Arsenal Premier League: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04 FA Cup: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05 FA Community Shield: 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004 Individual Arsenal Player of the Year: 1972 References 1949 births Living people Association footballers from Belfast Association footballers from Northern Ireland Northern Ireland international footballers Football managers from Northern Ireland Arsenal F.C. managers English Football League players Arsenal F.C. players Watford F.C. players Premier League managers Arsenal F.C. non-playing staff Members of the Order of the British Empire Association football defenders FA Cup Final players