Declan Rice has responded to Graeme Souness's recent criticism of his playing style, pointing to his goal and assist record at Arsenal, and has also defended team-mate Ben White after the defender was booed again by England supporters.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of England's decisive Nations League group match against Spain in Madrid on Sunday night, Rice addressed comments made by former player, manager and pundit Souness over the past few months.
Rice Responds to Souness Criticism
Souness had earlier suggested on Piers Morgan's Football Uncensored that Rice might be better suited to playing at centre-back due to his passing abilities, later reiterating that belief and questioning whether the midfielder would get into the teams of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City. He also accused Rice of "cheating" in his midfield role and called his style "old man's football".
"My numbers since I joined Arsenal speak for themselves. For a centre-back, I think that's not bad numbers!" Rice said with a laugh. "I think I've had a lot of assists, a lot of goals and to be a top-class centre-back getting those numbers I'm delighted with that!"
Rice went on to explain how the game has evolved, using Harry Kane as an example of a player who drops deep to receive the ball. "Look at Harry Kane, for instance. We played him the other week [in the Champions League], he dropped next to the centre-backs 20-30 times in the game to pick up the ball. The game's different now," he said.
Respect for Souness's Career
Despite the criticism, Rice expressed respect for Souness's achievements. "He was a top-class midfielder who won lots of stuff. There's no argument against him. As a pundit, as a person, as his career, you have to respect what he's done," Rice said. "If I met him, there wouldn't be no, like I said, no disrespect. I would speak to him like I would speak to anyone so, yeah, it is what it is."
Rice also described how he works with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta to improve his positioning and ball progression. "I'm constantly watching clips with Mikel. He's constantly coaching me on the pitch," he said.
Defending Ben White
Rice also came to the defence of Arsenal team-mate Ben White, who was booed by some England fans after coming off the bench against Croatia at Wembley on Thursday. White has faced similar treatment during his recent appearances for his country, including in friendlies against Uruguay and Japan in March, following his departure from Gareth Southgate's squad at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"Ben has moved on from what's happened in the past, he's totally focused on playing for England," Rice said. "He loves being here, it's not like he doesn't like being here, he loves playing for England, loves being around the lads."
Rice added that White is not fazed by the boos, saying: "Fans are entitled to their opinion, it is what it is but he doesn't feel that way with England. He wants to come out and play his best football and enjoy himself."
He also called for the issue to be put to rest, stating: "It's so long ago now, it's nearly five years and it doesn't need to keep getting brought up. We need to look forward to the future and what Ben White is going to do in an England shirt, that's the most important thing."
