Madueke joining the Gunners in a £52M deal has been one of the more surprising moves of the summer so far as the deal went ahead despite fan protest at how the club can sign more rejects from their London rivals.
Over 5,000 fans signed a #NoToMadueke petition as frustration grew over the move that many were left scratching their head about. However, despite the controversy, Rice has backed pal Madueke to silence the critics and claimed that the 23-year-old winger will shock many who don’t believe in him.
"I know how driven he is. I've spoken to him and you're going to see what he's about this season. He wants to prove and show everyone what he really can do.
"He's hungry, he wants to play for Arsenal and that's the type of players we want. It's so positive.
"He's going to shock a lot of people and I can't wait for him to come.
"People have been speaking internally - the players, the staff. We know the player that we're getting and we're really looking forward to having him at our club. It's going to be really exciting."
Rice continued to praise his England teammate, which may turn the heads of some Arsenal fans who still believe the move will be a complete failure. Rice’s words may be what Madueke needs to shine with the Gunners and change fan opinion before he plays a single minute for the club.
“I met him as a person with England and was blown away by his personality and character. I don't think a lot of people would have him down as that.
“But he's one of those people who lifts the dressing room. He really cares about his football, has really high demands and that's what shocked me about him.
“Then seeing him up close on the training pitch, when he gets the ball he just wants to beat his man. He's so positive and direct.
“There's been a lot of talk around his signing but as football players and players that have played with him, we know the quality he has and we're really, really looking forward to having him come and play for us. It's a really good signing for us.”