Declan Rice fires back at Graeme Souness after criticism from Liverpool legend

Detailed summary

England and Arsenal star Declan Rice is aware of harsh words from Graeme Souness (Picture: Press Association) Declan Rice has fired back at Graeme Souness after stinging…

Declan Rice has fired back at Graeme Souness after stinging criticism, suggesting the Liverpool legend doesn’t understand how football has changed.

Rice is an integral player for England and Premier League champions Arsenal, widely recognised as one of the best midfielders in the world.

However, Souness has his own view and is not entirely sold on the talents of the 27-year-old, who he believes plays too deep to be considered a complete midfielder.

‘How many times do you see him as the last man with the ball? In the build-up, he’s last man,’ Souness said on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored. ‘He’s sitting between two centre-halves or between the centre-half and the full-back. He’s last man. A lot of the time, he doesn’t play in midfield.

‘It’s old man’s football. It’s cheating. An old man’s way of playing midfield. You get the ball under no pressure and you play it out to the full-back.

He plays too deep to affect the game. I don’t think he’s got enough football. Let me tell you what he can do. He’s the best defensive midfielder in the country right now, he smells danger. But then again, he’s back there all the time.

In 323 Premier League outings for West Ham and Arsenal, Rice has scored 25 goals and provided 35 assists.

He is yet to scored in the top flight during the current campaign, but his five assists are more than any other player in the division.

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