Declan Rice sends message to cousin as he secures big January move

Declan Rice sends message to cousin as he secures big January move Phil Haigh Published January 15, 2026 8:54pm Updated January 15, 2026 8:54pm Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Declan Rice’s cousin is joining a Premier League promotion push (Picture: Getty Images)

Declan Rice is not the only footballer in his family, with cousin Finley Munroe securing a big January move on Thursday.

20-year-old Munroe started his career in the Chelsea academy, just as Rice did, before leaving London for Aston Villa in 2021.

He made two appearances for the Villains, with his debut in the UEFA Conference League semi-final at Olympiacos, while he also made an outing in the Premier League.

Munroe spent last season on loan in Spain with Real Union and then the first half of this campaign with League Two Swindon Town where he has been impressive.

Championship promotion challengers Middlesbrough clearly liked what they saw and have snapped him up from Aston Villa for a fee, reportedly around £300,000.

On Munroe’s Instagram post celebrating his move to the Riverside Stadium, his England international cousin commented: ‘Go time cuz! Proud of you!’

Rice wasn’t the only big name to chime in, with Chelsea legend John Terry adding: ‘Good Luck mate 👊🏻❤️’

Prefer us to the others? Then tell Google!

As a loyal Metro reader, we want to make sure you never miss our stories when searching for your news. Whether it is the latest politics news explained, live football coverage or a showbiz scoop.

Click here and tick Metro.co.uk to ensure you see stories from us first in Google Search.

Our journalists work hard to deliver the most important stories from around the world

Fin Munroe made two senior appearances for Aston Villa (Picture: Getty Images)

On his move north to Middlesbrough, the talented full-back said: ‘I’m really happy to be here. It’s a proud moment for me and my family and I can’t wait to get started.

‘The size of the club speaks for itself. It’s a huge club with aspirations of getting back into the Premier League and that attracted me, as did the fanbase and everything about it. I’m excited to get going.’

On having a cousin who is classed among the best in the world, he said: ‘In all fairness I think watching him is really good for me just to see what he’s capable of, then I can know what I’m capable of.

‘I don’t speak to him too much about it, but I just ride the journey by myself.’

A proud moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/JQldJa68bl

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) January 15, 2026

Munroe was full of praise for Swindon Town and their manager, the former QPR, Blackpool, Crystal Palace, Leicester City and others boss Ian Holloway.

‘It’s a great club, I can’t speak highly enough about it,’ he said. ‘I loved all my time there and I wish them nothing but the best, I hope they get promotion this season.

‘He’s a great guy and I will respect him for the rest of my life.’

Munroe leaves Swindon second in League Two (Picture: Getty Images)

The new Boro man also hailed the education he received at Chelsea, believing it is the ideal place to start as a youngster.

More Trending

1. 

   Liam Rosenior urged to sell £25m Chelsea flop after Arsenal defeat

   Channel: Football Football 17 hours ago By Louis Sealey
2. £50million Arsenal star could 'force move' to Liverpool in January transfer window
3. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink questions Arsenal star's reaction to Chelsea win
4. Joe Cole warns 'certain players' will leave Arsenal in transfer message to Chelsea

‘I was there from Under-9s all the way to Under-16s, I think as a person wanting to be a footballer there’s no better place to grow up and get taught,’ he said.

‘So I think for me that was the best start of my career, then moving to Villa really helped.’

Munroe joins Kim Hellberg’s side, which sits second in the Championship table after 26 games, six points behind leaders Coventry City.

It is a packed race for the play-off spots at this stage, with just six points separating Boro and ninth-place Wrexham.

Arrow MORE: I thought Mikel Arteta needed to replace £27m Arsenal star – I was wrong

Arrow MORE: Paul Merson’s Premier League predictions, including Man Utd v Man City and Forest v Arsenal

Arrow MORE: Viktor Gyokeres warned ‘two or three’ Arsenal stars can take his spot despite Chelsea goal

Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source Football Newsletter – In The Mixer

Punchy analysis, transfer talk and more from Metro's football experts, sent straight to your inbox every week.

Team Expand Options ?

Let us know which team you support. Close

Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Bournemouth Bournemouth Brighton Brighton Burnley Burnley Chelsea Chelsea Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Everton Everton Fulham Fulham Leeds United Leeds United Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Newcastle Newcastle Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Sunderland Sunderland Tottenham Tottenham West Ham West Ham Wolves Wolves Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign Up

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy