Souness Criticizes Declan Rice's Deep Positioning

Graeme Souness, the former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder, has reignited his criticism of Arsenal and England star Declan Rice, questioning the midfielder's positioning and overall effectiveness. Souness, speaking on Piers Morgan's "Football Uncensored" show, accused the 27-year-old of playing "old man's football" and even "cheating" with his deep-lying role. Souness contends that Rice often operates too deep on the pitch, frequently positioned as the "last man with the ball" in buildup play, sitting between or alongside center-backs. This positioning, according to Souness, allows Rice to receive possession under little pressure but prevents him from influencing the game further up the field. "A lot of the time, he doesn't play in midfield," Souness stated, suggesting that this approach is an "old man's way of playing midfield" and that Rice "plays too deep to affect the game." He further posited that Rice might be better suited to playing as a center-back. The former Liverpool captain also expressed doubt about Rice's ability to secure a place in the starting lineups of Europe's elite clubs, naming Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City as examples.