Graeme Souness claims Declan Rice does not possess two of the three key qualities a complete, top-level central midfielder needs to have in their locker.
The Liverpool legend, one of the most formidable midfielders in the world during the late 1970s' and '80s, acknowledges the West Ham captain's defensive contributions but criticised his work in possession. Rice, 24, is regarded as one of the best in the Premier League in his position and is a shoo-in for England.
His ability to mop up in front of the defence makes him a key asset for David Moyes and Gareth Southgate, so much so that the Irons boss declared it will take a British-record transfer bid for the club to sell him.
However, finding the back of the net has never been Rice's forte, with last season's return of five goals in 50 appearances in all competitions his career-high. Souness believes this failure to regularly score combined with a lack of creativity while on the ball is what holds the player back from being a truly top-drawer player.
"This [midfield] role is a vital part of any team because in an ideal world, it's multi-dimensional," the Scot wrote in his Daily Mail column. "You are creative, you chip in with goals and you've got a defensive head at all times.
"Even when you're on the front foot, you are thinking: 'We are vulnerable if we lose possession.' If you've got all three of those attributes, you're worth your weight in gold. For me, Rice has just one of them."
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Souness suspects Rice is "not the best" as a result of his attacking shortcomings and compared the former Chelsea academy starlet's statistics to his own to illustrate his point. The Anfield icon contributed 91 goals or assists in 359 games for the Reds - and claims there would have been far more if he had played on the carpet-like pitches used today - whereas Rice has 17 goal involvements in 188 Premier League games.
Having assessed Rice's pros and cons, Souness drew attention to Manchester United enforcer Casemiro, labelling him the "best central midfielder around". The Brazilian, 30, joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid in a £70million transfer last summer and has picked up nine goal involvements in his first 30 games for the club.
Casemiro has transformed Manchester United's midfield and his absence was sorely felt in their 2-2 draw with Leeds on Wednesday night. The five-time Champions League winner has long set the standard for midfield players, and Souness wants to see Rice show he can hit those levels, starting in Saturday's lunchtime clash against Chelsea.
