Paul Scholes thinks Declan Rice does something better than any midfielder in the world

Declan Rice has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or for the third successive season.

Gerard Pique has backed him for a top 10 finish, which would make him the first Arsenal player to achieve that since Cesc Fabregas in 2007.

The Arsenal midfielder was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the third successive season.

And yet some can’t help but criticise him. This week, Graeme Souness doubled down on his take that Rice plays too deep and is not a complete midfielder.

That has since been made to look silly by Rice’s Champions League passing numbers.

Paul Scholes, too, hasn’t always been Rice’s biggest advocate. Last season he infamously named Sandro Tonali as the better player — a take that has aged terribly.

So it is particularly welcome when Scholes offers a compliment. And building his perfect midfielder using current players on The Good, The Bad & The Football, he gave Rice a big one.

For tackling, Scholes picked Rice, suggesting that Rice is the best tackling midfielder in the world, in his view.

It shouldn’t need saying, but Rice’s defensive game has never seriously been in question. That has always been what he’s known for being great at.

It’s the other areas of his game that bizarrely continue to attract criticism despite him being quite obviously the best midfielder for the best team in the country.

He’s so much more than a destroyer. He ranks second in the entire Premier League for line-breaking passes per 90 minutes this season, regularly drives 30 yards up field under pressure, and provides lethal dead-ball deliveries.

Rice’s role has evolved this season too. He operates deeper now, getting fewer touches in forward areas and instead patrolling the middle third. By doing so, his defensive capabilities are maximised.

And even Scholes is suggesting it. Rice is the best defensive midfielder in the world. It’s not up for debate.