According to ESPN, Souness has again questioned Rice, arguing that the Arsenal midfielder is more like a center-back and struggles to secure a starting position at a top European club.
In July of this year, Souness stated that Rice "could be a centre-back" and called the England international "limited in ability." Despite Rice's strong start to the Premier League season after being hampered by injuries and a poor performance at the World Cup, Souness still questioned the 27-year-old.
Graeme Souness said on Piers Morgan's "Football Uncensored": "How many times have you seen him receive the ball as the last player? When organizing an attack, he's positioned between two center-backs, or between a center-back and a full-back. He's the last one. A lot of the time, he's not even playing in midfield."
"His position is too deep to affect the game. I think his footwork is lacking. Let me tell you what he can do, he's currently the best defensive midfielder in the country, able to sense danger, but he's always staying deep."
"Then he's not a midfielder, right? I think he's probably a center-back. The ball moves faster than a person. I saw him dribble for 30 yards and then pass across. He has good footwork and good body opening, nothing to dislike. But modern players are a bit delicate and not easily accepting criticism. He's not a complete midfielder."
Souness added: "I'm not sure if he can make the squad for Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or Manchester City. If you're looking for the best player in that position, Manchester City used to have Fernandinho and Rodri, who played in midfield. Watch him closely next time; he can drop back without pressure to receive Gabriel's 10-yard pass and then pass the ball across."
Rice played the full 90 minutes in Arsenal's 2-1 win over Chelsea on Sunday, as Arteta's defending champions continued their perfect start to the new season.
