Graeme Souness doubts Declan Rice could have survived if he played in the 80s

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·14 September 2026

Graeme Souness doubts Declan Rice could have survived if he played in the 80s

Graeme Souness has continued his campaign of speaking down on Declan Rice as he demands more from the Arsenal man and other midfielders of this generation.

Before Rice, Souness had Paul Pogba as a favourite player whom he loved to talk about, and when the Frenchman left, he turned his attention to other players, with Rice becoming one of his favourites.

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The World Cup semi-finalist is Arsenal’s most expensive signing and has met expectations so far, which explains why few people have discussed his transfer fee. Generally, Rice is seen as one of the best midfielders in the world, and he rarely has a bad game for club and country.

Souness Questions Rice

The former West Ham man can improve and helped Arsenal win the Premier League title last season. In his generation, there are few midfielders who come close to the Arsenal man, yet Souness doubts whether he could do well if he had played when the Liverpool icon played in England.

Rice has established himself as an important player for Arsenal, while his performances have largely justified the significant fee the club paid for him. However, Souness continues to question whether modern midfielders would have succeeded under the conditions faced during his playing career.

The former Liverpool midfielder believes players from his era faced different technical and physical demands, particularly because of the pitches and challenges they encountered.

(Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Souness Compares Eras

He said via the Daily Star: “Don’t ask me, ‘Could I play today?’ Ask me, ‘Could guys [like Declan Rice] have played in the 80s and before that?’

“Where do you need the most technique? On a carpet when there’s no nasty challenges, or on a bobbly pitch where you’re having to take an extra touch all the time and people are launching themselves at you to hurt you?”

Rice remains one of Arsenal’s most important players, but Souness clearly believes the modern game does not demand the same qualities required during his playing days.

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