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Souness Claims Declan Rice Wouldn’t Start for Top Clubs

9/8/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Graeme Souness said Declan Rice plays like a centre-half rather than a midfielder.
Souness described Rice’s style as “old man’s football” and accused him of cheating in midfield.
He claimed Rice would not start for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City.
Souness blamed Rice and Elliot Anderson for England’s World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina in July.

History

Historical Context

In the 1998 World Cup round of 16, England fell 2-2 to Argentina and lost the penalty shoot-out 4-3, with Paul Ince’s spot-kick saved by Carlos Roa. The defeat echoed earlier knockout losses in 1966 and 1986 that have fueled a rivalry intensified by the 1982 Falklands War. Now critiques of England’s midfield pressure the FA to modernize for upcoming tournaments.

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Story summary

Graeme Souness said Declan Rice plays like a centre-half rather than a midfielder.
Souness described Rice’s style as “old man’s football” and accused him of cheating in midfield.
He claimed Rice would not start for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Manchester City.
Souness blamed Rice and Elliot Anderson for England’s World Cup semi-final loss to Argentina in July.

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