Declan Rice lost his voice during Arsenal’s raucous North London title parade and vowed that the Gunners would “go for more” next season. Hundreds of thousands of fans lined the streets to celebrate the club’s long-awaited triumph.

Despite suffering heartbreak in the UEFA Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in the early hours of Sunday morning, Arsenal’s players returned home to a hero’s welcome from their supporters.

After all, this was Arsenal’s first Premier League title in 22 years. The streets surrounding the Emirates Stadium were packed with fans, while deafening chants and clouds of red smoke transformed the area into a sea of celebration.

Rice entertained the crowd by singing a verse of Vanilla Ice’s *Ice Ice Baby* and leading supporters in chants of “One more set-piece, ole ole,” leaving him virtually voiceless. He admitted he was overwhelmed by the scenes.

“To see the joy we can bring to people is just unbelievable,” said the midfielder, who is due to join up with England on Monday ahead of the World Cup. “But next season we want more. Get on the bus, or get out of the way.”

For Mikel Arteta’s side, however, Budapest did not provide the fairytale ending. A finely balanced Champions League final ended in cruel fashion as Paris Saint-Germain successfully defended their European crown. After extra time failed to separate the teams, the match went to penalties, where Gabriel blasted his spot-kick over the bar, allowing the French champions to prevail 4-3 in the shootout.

Both the result and the performance gave Arsenal confidence while also highlighting areas where improvement is still needed.

Speaking to TNT Sports after the match, Rice described the defeat as “heartbreaking” but took comfort from the team’s progress throughout the season.

“It’s been an unbelievable season and we fought all the way to this point,” he said. “We took it to penalties, and at that stage it’s a lottery. You either win or you lose. Some of the greatest teams in history have lost penalty shootouts in finals, and tonight it was our turn.”

“That’s football. They won’t be the last players to miss penalties in a final. Everyone misses penalties. And honestly, without the performances those two have produced this season, we wouldn’t have won the Premier League. Gabriel — I’m running out of words to describe him as a person and as a player. And Eze has scored so many important goals for us this year. These things happen. Football can be cruel. We’ll take the positives and keep moving forward.”

Arsenal staff travelled on the second open-top bus, while the women’s team rode on a third vehicle displaying the FIFA Champions Cup they won in February.

Hundreds of flares were lit, sending red smoke drifting across North London. When Arsenal last won the league in 2004, Myles Lewis-Skelly had not even been born. The 19-year-old midfielder, who started in the Champions League final, told Sky Sports:

“First of all, I’m incredibly proud of the boys. I’m proud of the whole group for getting to this stage because it hasn’t been an easy season. But at the end of it all, we’re champions of England.”

“Of course it hurts when you come so close to a dream, to a goal, and feel like you’re only inches away. But like Mikel said, it’s fuel for the fire. We’ll turn that pain into motivation. To share this moment with our fans means everything. It’s an opportunity to give something back for all the support they’ve shown us.”

“I’ll also get to see my family here. It’s probably going to be emotional, so I’m really excited. The last two weeks have been a dream. To experience these moments with people you love and fight alongside every day is something special.”

“For me, the future is bright. I feel like this is the beginning of a new era, and we’re ready to achieve our dreams. Mikel has given me tremendous support throughout my journey, and I’m very grateful to him for believing in me.”

Asked if he had a message for the fans, Lewis-Skelly added:

“Thank you — and we’re not done yet!”