'I've seen enough of it' - Souness doubles down on Declan Rice's criticism after backlash

Graeme Souness has doubled down on his criticism of Declan Rice after the England international claimed his first shot at him was 'hard'.

“This midfield role is a vital part of any team because in an ideal world it is multi-dimensional: you are creative, you contribute goals and you have a defensive head at all times,” Souness wrote for the last time. month.

"If you have all three attributes, you are worth your weight in gold. To me, Rice has only one."

In response, Rice said: "I think it's tough because Souness doesn't watch West Ham every week."

The West Ham captain illustrated in England's 2-1 win over Italy on Thursday that he is at the very least a two-dimensional player, defending brilliantly and scoring the opening goal.< /p>

And yet, Souness reiterated his feelings on Rice, stating once again that the midfielder has a lot to do to be considered a world-class midfielder.

"In a column earlier this season, I wrote that Declan Rice still had a lot to prove in some areas of his game to be considered a truly top-notch central midfielder," Souness wrote in his

em>Daily Mail column.

"He needs to attack the half-turn more when he receives the ball from his defenders and play it forward more, and not just go back to where it came from and face his opponents. passes. And he has to contribute with more goals. He has scored twice in the Premier League this season in 26 games and that's not enough.

‘Now Rice has also had his say. He thinks my review is "harsh" and that I don't see him playing every week. It's true. But I've seen enough of it, for West Ham and for England.

"I watched the game against Italy and the same things were playing. Any world-class midfielder is mostly on the half-turn and looking to play forward. How much Many times has Rice done this in Napoli? Not enough for me. Get videos of Kroos and Modric playing in their midfield roles for Real Madrid. Or go back a few years and watch Paul Scholes.< /p>

“As we saw against Italy, he mastered the defensive side of the position. But I just think he should strive to be better and never be content with his lot. That's what great players do.

"Will he one day end up as a central defender - which I think is entirely possible - or does he want to be one of the best central midfielders playing in the Champions League every season ?

"I bet Declan is a great guy to work with and popular with his teammates, and great to deal with.

‘But he has to aim for the stars. It's just my opinion. But I think he should ask himself a question as he progresses in his career: "How can I become a world-class player?"

“The main thing is that at 24, he must constantly challenge himself to improve. »

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