Declan Rice, the captain of West Ham, has disregarded the critical comments made about him by Sky Sports pundit Graeme Souness, referring to them as “harsh.”
Nonetheless, Rice acknowledged the value of listening to the views of legendary figures like Souness, as relays the WHZ. According to the Express, Souness has stated that Rice is excellent at retrieving the ball but lacks the ability to pass and score. However, Rice has countered this assertion, claiming that Souness does not observe West Ham’s games closely enough to provide such criticism.
According to the Express, Rice stated that his performances are under closer scrutiny due to his role as captain, but he can accept that. He acknowledged that he hasn’t been at his best in some recent games, but he has also performed well in other matches.
Rice believes that Souness’ criticism is unfair because he doesn’t watch West Ham play every week. However, Rice respects Souness’ opinion as a former top midfielder, and he believes that it is essential to listen and learn from such legendary figures, especially if they provide constructive feedback on areas that need improvement.
There are growing indications that Rice will depart from West Ham at the end of the current season, with the club reportedly scouting for potential replacements for their star midfielder. However, despite the distractions and speculations about his future, the captain is having another exceptional season, both in the Premier League and the Europa Conference League. Rice’s ability to retrieve the ball and pass it is widely recognized, and he is considered one of the league’s top midfielders in these categories. Criticisms regarding his scoring ability are unfounded, as Rice has scored twice this season, despite primarily playing in defensive midfield. He has demonstrated his capability of scoring when given the opportunity.