Declan Rice brushes off Graeme Souness criticism: “The game’s different now”
Declan Rice has said laughed off criticism from Graeme Souness and insists the 'game's different' to when the former Liverpool midfielder played.
Souness has been critical of Rice on numerous occasions during recent punditry, criticising the Arsenal star for playing “old man’s football” and “cheating” in his midfield role, while insisting he’s a “centre-back”.
Souness suggested on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored that Rice was having little impact on games when dropping deep to begin the build-up between the centre-backs.
He argued that the 27-year-old was taking up positions where there was little pressure, and said Rice is more suited to a centre-back role.
Rice was asked about the former Scotland midfielder's verdict, and said he has no issue with the comments.
“My numbers speak for themselves”: Declan Rice responds to Graeme Souness’s criticism
However, Rice argued his numbers 'speak for themselves' since he signed for Arsenal, and stressed the game has changed significantly since Souness's era.
“My numbers since I joined Arsenal speak for themselves,” Rice said in a press conference ahead of England's Nations League clash with Spain.
“To be a top-class centre-back getting those numbers I’m delighted with that! The positioning, the ‘old man’s football’... look at Harry Kane. We played him the other week [a 2-2 Arsenal draw at Bayern Munich]. He dropped next to the centre-backs 20 to 30 times in the game to pick up the ball. The game’s different now.
“It's what the game demands, to get away from your man, to get away from who's marking you, to go into different areas to create overloads, to create two-v-ones, to progress the ball up the pitch. Football's way different. You're always trying to look for tactical advantages.”
