Graeme Souness has just proved one thing with bizarre Declan Rice comments as Arsenal truth clear

Graeme Souness criticised Declan Rice(Image: Getty Images)

Graeme Souness has shown why he was largely unsuccessful as a manager with his baffling comments on Declan Rice, as well as just how much the game has evolved over the past 20 years or so.

Of course, there's no dispute that Souness enjoyed a trophy-laden career on the pitch with Liverpool in the late 70s and early 80s, winning five titles at Anfield in the heart of midfield.

But that's not to say that the 73-year-old pundit knows ball in the big 2026. Recently speaking on Piers Morgan's Uncensored, Souness argued that Rice plays too deep for Arsenal to be considered a midfielder, and that he wouldn't get into any of Europe's biggest powerhouses at present.

He said: "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.

"He's not a midfield player then is he? I think he may be a centre-half. The ball travels faster than you do. I see him run with the ball 30 yards and pass it square.

"He's a lovely kicker of the ball and opens his body up well, there's nothing to dislike about him. But modern players are a bit precious. Criticism doesn't fall easily on these shoulders. He isn't the complete midfield player."

He added: "I'm not sure if he gets in Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Man City's teams. If you want the best in that position, City had two of them - Fernandinho and Rodri.

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"They played in midfield. Next time, please watch him. He goes in and gets it cheap under no pressure, a 10-yard pass off Gabriel, and passes it sideways."

football.london's Aaron Morris breaks down why Souness has well and truly missed the mark with his assessment of Rice, picking apart the Scottish player, turned manager, turned pundit's comments.

Unlike the glory days of 4-4-2, football has now evolved to the point in which there are a multitude of faces for different cases. While Rice is more of a defensive-minded midfielder, who does often operate as a sweeper or sorts, that's not to say he has a major impact on the game.

The 27-year-old - who, let's remember, initially started his career as a defender - managed four goals and seven assists for the Gunners last season, in a side which largely struggled to score from open play.

A massively defensive team in 2025/26, Arsenal arguably wouldn't have won the Premier League and thrived in the Champions League if it wasn't for their backline.

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It's like arguing that Claude Makelele didn't have an impact on Chelsea's back-to-back Premier League titles in 2005 and 2006, with Rice arguably looking even more attacking that the Frenchman - who has a positision NAMED AFTER HIM - did.

Rice's stats from 2025/26 highlight exactly the impact that the midfielder had on the game; 2,136 passes completed, 183 long passes, 50 per cent of his dribbles completed and 56 touches in the opposition box is good going for a player who often spends his time in his own-half, if Souness is to believe.

The Englishman also brings stellar set pieces to the game, which can make or break a result on the best of days. Rice took 95 corners in the Premier League last season, and put away five free-kicks.

And considering Arsenal relied on dead balls for 25 of their 71 goals in total, you lose a hell of a lot by taking Rice out of the team. Debunked.

Declan Rice is a world-class operator in the heart of Arsenal's midfield

To claim that a world-class footballer in Rice wouldn't step into a European rival's team with ease at present is ignorant at best. Yes, Manchester City, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are well-stocked in the engine room, each bolstering well-oiled machines to do the hard work.

However, that's not to completely rule out Rice's ability to perform in any of those teams and get the nod ahead of his peers. Manchester City's decision to pay £116million on Elliot Anderson is quite baffling in the grand scheme of things - a price tag which is clearly the result of English tax coupling with the potential that the 23-year-old could grow into.

There's no dispute that Anderson is one of the brightest midfielders in the Premier League at present, but if you asked me if I'd rather him or Rice in my team, I'm taking the latter every day of the week.

Graeme Souness' assessment of Declan Rice was off(Image: Daily Record)

Not only does Rice cover more ground, is stronger in the tackle and more dangerous from set pieces, but he also hardly has a mistake in him. It's the exact same story for Enzo Fernandez who arrived at the Etihad Stadium on deadline day, who, albeit is slightly more experienced that Anderson, also has a tendency to act on emotion - just look at the recent World Cup final for evidence of that.

While I'll give Barcelona credit, considering Rodri already takes precedent in the heart of their midfield, I would argue that Rice gets into Real Madrid's squad ahead of Eduardo Camavinga - who, lets not forget, Los Blancos were looking to replace with Rodri this summer.

Bayern is also a bit of a funny one, considering Joshua Kimmich is the club's 'golden boy,' although there is a case that Rice gets in ahead of a raw Aleksandar Pavlovic, who, like Anderson, is still on the come-up and developing as a player.

Aaron Morris is a senior sports reporter for Reach PLC's Sports Hub. Aaron initially joined us in October 2021, working for Chronicle Live as a local reporter before making the move to the Sports Hub in 2024. He currently reports on football, boxing, mixed-martial arts, tennis, golf and Formula 1.

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