Souness: Rice Is More Like a Centre-Back and May Not Start for Man City, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern

According to ESPN, Souness has once again questioned Rice, believing that the Arsenal midfielder is more like a centre-back and would find it difficult to earn a starting place at Europe's top clubs.

In July this year, Souness said that Rice “could be a centre-back” and described the England international as having “limited ability.” Although Rice made an impressive Premier League start after being affected by injuries and a poor World Cup performance, Souness has continued to question the 27-year-old player.

Speaking on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored programme, Souness said: “How many times have you seen him receive the ball as the last man? When building attacks, he stands between the two centre-backs, or between the centre-back and the full-back. He is that last man. A lot of the time, he is not playing in midfield.”

“He is positioned too deep to influence the game. I don't think he is good enough technically. Let me tell you what he can do: he is the best defensive midfielder in the country at the moment, he can sense danger, but he always stays back.”

“Then he is not a midfielder, is he? I think he could be a centre-back. The ball moves faster than people. I have seen him run with the ball for 30 yards and then play a sideways pass. His technique is good, and he opens his body well. There is nothing unpleasant about him. However, modern players are a little sensitive and do not easily accept criticism. He is not a complete midfielder.”

Souness added: “I am not sure he could get into the teams of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City. If you are looking for the best players in that position, Manchester City had Fernandinho and Rodri, and they played in midfield. Watch him carefully next time; he will drop back without pressure to receive a 10-yard pass from Gabriel and then play the ball sideways.”

Rice played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, as the defending champions coached by Arteta continued their perfect start to the new season.