Declan Rice told he 'won't get any better' as Graeme Souness shreds Arsenal star after England collapse and labels Spain's Rodri is 'the polar opposite'

Legendary former Liverpool midfielder Souness has launched a blistering critique of Rice, labelling the midfielder "limited" following England's World Cup heartbreak. The former West Ham captain started nearly every match but could not prevent the Three Lions from falling to a dramatic semi-final defeat against Argentina. Rice was substituted by Thomas Tuchel with five minutes remaining, having battled hamstring, calf, and back issues throughout the tournament.

Souness claimed that both Rice and his international midfield partner Elliot Anderson lack technical variation, contrasting their styles with Spain’s midfield maestro Rodri. Speaking to Sports Uncensored, Souness said: "[Anderson is] 22, so he's got a chance of getting better. Declan won't get any better, he's looking as good as he'll get at 27."

He added: "I don't see enough football in the two of them. I see them as players who'll recycle the ball... but I don't see them hurting people. If you wanted the polar opposite to those two, the night before you see arguably the best one in the world at that, and has been for a couple of years, in Rodri.

"[Spain] go a goal up and he's still getting on the front foot by his choice of pass, not running with it unnecessarily and not going square all the time."

While praising the Arsenal star's application and immense athleticism, Souness bluntly suggested Rice is better suited to central defence due to a perceived lack of vision.

Souness continued: "He's a proper midfield player. I think these two young lads - certainly in Anderson's case, young lad - are limited. Declan Rice, for me, limited. You hear people talk about Declan Rice, 'a world-class footballer'... I think he might be a centre-half.

"There's nothing to dislike about him in terms of his attitude to the game, nothing to dislike about him in his athleticism, nothing to dislike about him in his commitment from the first minute to the last minute.

"My criticism of him is he doesn't have enough football in him. They talk about, 'look how he runs with the ball'. As a centre midfielder, you shouldn't do [it]. And the reason people run with the ball is they don't see the picture quick enough...

"You don't wanna carry the ball really well. I've got Declan Rice running with the ball, runs 20 yards, is confronted by an opposition player, the handbrakes goes on and he passes it square."

Rice must now shift his focus back to club duties with Arsenal after concluding an emotionally draining World Cup campaign against France in Saturday's third-place play-off. The midfielder faces immediate pressure to deliver under Mikel Arteta with the new Premier League season looming large on the horizon. This heavy criticism from the veteran pundit will undoubtedly add extra scrutiny as Rice returns to north London to aid the Gunners' domestic title ambitions.