Overview
- Pundit Graeme Souness said on Friday that England midfielders Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson are “limited” and argued Rice might be better suited to play as a centre-back.
- Reporting notes Rice played through a sickness bug and recurring lower-back/hamstring nerve pain during the World Cup, which journalists and former coaches say affected his tournament form.
- Former England coach Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and other ex-players have publicly rejected Souness’s judgement and defended Rice’s quality and importance to club and country.
- Coverage also highlights Anderson’s youth and recent high-fee move to Manchester City, with Souness describing Anderson as a player who can still improve.
- Opinion pieces connect the centre-back suggestion to speculative club planning at Arsenal if William Saliba is unavailable, but there is no confirmed move to change Rice’s primary position.