Graeme Souness Takes Brutal Aim at Declan Rice With ‘Cheating’ and ‘Old Man’s Football’ Verdict

Graeme Souness has delivered a brutal assessment of Declan Rice, accusing the Arsenal and England midfielder of playing “old man’s football” and even suggesting he is effectively “cheating” with his positioning.

Rice has become one of Arsenal’s most important players since arriving as the club’s record signing, while his influence has also grown significantly with England.

But despite Rice’s rise to prominence, Souness remains unconvinced that the midfielder belongs among the very best in his position.

And his latest criticism could hardly have been more direct.

Souness Questions Where Rice Actually Plays

Speaking on Piers Morgan’s Football Uncensored, Souness focused heavily on Rice’s position during Arsenal’s build-up play.

The former Liverpool and Scotland midfielder argued that Rice frequently drops so deep that he effectively becomes another defender rather than controlling the midfield.

“How many times do you see him as the last man with the ball?” Souness said.

“In the build-up, he’s last man. 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.”

Souness then delivered his most cutting assessment.

“It’s old man’s football. It’s cheating. An old man’s way of playing midfield.”

‘He Plays Too Deep to Affect the Game’

For Souness, the problem is not Rice’s ability to defend.

In fact, he believes that is arguably the England international’s greatest strength.

But he insists Rice’s tendency to operate so deep prevents him from exerting enough influence on matches.

“He plays too deep to affect the game,” Souness argued. “I don’t think he’s got enough football.”

The pundit nevertheless acknowledged Rice’s defensive qualities, describing him as the “best defensive midfielder in the country right now” and praising his ability to “smell danger”.

Yet that praise came with a major qualification.

“He’s back there all the time,” Souness said.

“He’s not a midfield player then, is he? I think he may be a centre-half.”

Souness: Rice Is ‘Not the Complete Midfield Player’

Souness also questioned Rice’s use of the ball after winning possession.

He pointed to moments when Rice carries the ball forward before playing a sideways pass, arguing that the midfielder could have a greater impact if he operated higher up the pitch.

“The ball travels faster than you do,” Souness said.

“I see him run with the ball 30 yards and pass it square.”

Despite his criticism, Souness made clear that he does not regard Rice as a poor player.

He praised the Arsenal star’s ability to strike the ball and noted that he “opens his body up well”.

But when it comes to the complete midfield package, Souness believes Rice still falls short.

“He’s a lovely kicker of the ball,” he said. “There’s nothing to dislike about him.”

Then came the verdict that will likely dominate the reaction:

“He isn’t the complete midfield player.”

Rice Has Plenty to Prove — According to Souness

The comments are particularly striking given how far Rice’s reputation has risen since his move to Arsenal.

He has established himself as a key figure for Mikel Arteta and an important player for England, while his versatility has allowed him to operate in several midfield roles.

Souness, however, is judging him by a much higher standard.

For one of Britain’s most decorated former midfielders, simply protecting the defence and circulating possession is not enough.

He wants Rice to dictate games, take greater responsibility in midfield and influence matches from more advanced positions.

And until he does, Souness appears unwilling to put him in the conversation with the very best.

Rice may have become indispensable to Arsenal and England — but Souness has made it clear he still has serious doubts about what kind of midfielder he really is.