Declan Rice and Eliot Anderson were called out by Liverpool legend Graeme Souness, with the former star questioning their "limited" playstyles as England lost at the World Cup
22:15, 17 Jul 2026
Graeme Souness was unimpressed by Declan Rice at the World Cup
Graeme Souness was unimpressed by Declan Rice at the World Cup(Image: 2023 Visionhaus)
Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has claimed that England's midfield partnership was "limited" at the FIFA World Cup, with a particular focus on Declan Rice's role in the team.
England crashed out to Argentina in the World Cup semifinal on Wednesday, losing 2-1 despite holding a 1-0 lead with five minutes remaining in regulation. The defeat has prompted a thorough examination of what went wrong, but England still has to play a third-place game against France before heading home.
Argentina will now face Spain in Sunday's final, meaning new Liverpool signing Victor Munoz will go head-to-head with Alexis Mac Allister for glory. While England missed a huge opportunity to reach the final, Souness wasn't shocked and criticized the midfield.
Rice and Anderson are seen as key players for England, with both now selling for over $100 million in the Premier League. Rice helped Arsenal to the Premier League title last season from central midfield, and almost celebrated Champions League glory, but fell short.
Anderson has joined Manchester City ahead of the upcoming season following a blockbuster deal with Nottingham Forest, and has also impressed for England at the World Cup. However, as a former midfielder, Souness was critical of both.
Rice is hailed for carrying the ball forward, but Souness insisted that England doesn't need that attribute. He also believes that Anderson is limited, despite his age and price tag this summer.
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"One is very young, 22, so he's (Anderson) got a chance of getting better," Souness said on Sports Uncensored. "Declan won't get any better; he's looking as good as he will get at 27.
"I don't see enough football in the two of them. I see them as players who will recycle the ball, but I don't see them hurting people... I think these two young lads are limited. Declan Rice for me, limited.
"You hear people talk about Declan Rice as a world-class footballer, I think he might be a center-half. There's nothing to dislike about him in terms of his attitude to the game, nothing to dislike about him, his athleticism, commitment from the first minute to the last minute.
Rice and Eliot Anderson were both called "limited" by Souness
Rice and Eliot Anderson were both called 'limited' by Souness(Image: 2026 Getty Images)
"My critcism of his, is, he doesn't have enough football in him. They talk about how, 'Well, look how he runs with the ball.' A center midfield player, you shouldn't do. The reason people run with the ball is you don't see the picture quick enough.
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"My take on being a central midfield player is, if you're a striker or you're someone in wide areas, they want me to have the minimum touch, ideally one touch or two touch. I've got this vision in my head.
"You don't eant to carry the ball really well. Runs 20 yards, confronted by an opposition player, the handbrake goes on and he passes it square."
England failed to create chances in the final 30 minutes against Argentina and lost total control of the game. England will attempt to finish strong against France, but the roster could face changes ahead of the next tournament.