Graham Souness has again strongly criticized Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, arguing that he plays "too deep" and may be better suited to playing as a defender.

Since joining Emirates Stadium for £105 million in 2023, Declan Rice has become a key player for both Arsenal and England. However, Souness remains unconvinced that the 27-year-old possesses the qualities needed for a top central midfielder.

Last season, the Arsenal star helped his side win their first Premier League title in 22 years, and over the summer he helped England reach the World Cup semi-final. However, following England's heartbreaking loss to Argentina, Souness criticized him as "limited" and made him a target of his commentary.

After Arsenal defeated rivals Chelsea 2-1 over the weekend, Souness appeared on Monday on Piers Morgan's new program "Football Uncensored" to reiterate his views on Declan Rice.

Souness told Morgan: "How many times have you seen him with the ball as a back defender? He's a center-back in the build-up phase. He stands between two center-backs, or between a center-back and a full-back. He's a center-back. In many cases, he doesn't play in midfield at all."

"In my second or third home game of my career, I dropped deep defensively like all midfielders do today. This is outdated football, it's opportunistic and outdated midfield play. Receiving the ball without pressure and passing to a full-back."

Souness explained that he dropped deep into midfield and made 10-meter horizontal passes between the center-back and full-back, only to be strongly criticized by his teammates at halftime, who told him to push further forward and truly play in midfield.

Souness added: "He plays too deep to have an impact on the game. I don't think he has sufficient midfield qualities. Let me tell you what he can do. He's currently England's best defensive midfielder and he can anticipate danger. But the problem is he's always at the back."

"So he's not a midfielder then? I think he might be better suited to playing as a center-back. The ball moves faster than you do. I've seen him run 30 yards with the ball and then pass it sideways. I like the way he plays and the way he opens his body to handle the ball. There's nothing to dislike. But modern players are somewhat weak, and criticism doesn't easily affect these players. He's not quite a complete midfielder."

Morgan said Declan Rice is a world-class midfielder, to which Souness responded: "I'm not sure if he could get into Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or Manchester City. If you want the best player in that position, Manchester City previously had two players—Fernandinho and Rodri. They play in midfield. Next time, take a close look at him. He'll drop back, easily receive the ball without pressure, make a 10-yard pass from Thiago Gabriel, and then pass it sideways."

Souness also blamed Declan Rice again for England's defeat to Argentina in the World Cup semi-final in July.

He said: "When England was leading Argentina 1-0, they panicked. 'Oh, what do we do now?' I attribute this to the midfield partnership of Declan Rice and Elliott Anderson in the engine room."

"Instead of driving the team forward, they dropped back and held hands with the defensive line."

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