DECLAN RICE has dismissed criticism from Roy Keane, Graeme Souness, and Jamie Redknapp.
Roy Keane and his fellow pundits claimed that Rice doesn’t have enough goal contributions which is preventing him from being one of the best in the league.
Across 245 games, Rice scored 15 goals and assisted 13 times for West Ham.
Since moving to Arsenal he has been involved in putting the ball into the back of the net.
In 48 appearances he has already scored six times and registered nine assists, this season.
Speaking to ITV sport last season, Man Utd legend Keane said: “I don’t think he’s been great this season, I really don’t. I think he’s not really kicked on.
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“For all the talk about him, a lot of good PR coming out of West Ham about how much he’s worth, I think he needs to do a lot more. Doesn’t score enough goals, doesn’t get enough assists.”
Graeme Souness and Jamie Redknapp also highlighted Rice’s lack of goal involvements but the England midfielder has dismissed these opinions.
In an interview with The Athletic, he said that criticism of his lack of goals was unfair:
“Because Roy Keane, (Graeme) Souness, (Jamie) Redknapp, people that talk about my goalscoring ability, if you looked at their goals, they didn’t score hundreds in their career.
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“But they’re remembered for what they did as midfield players: Roy Keane breaking up play, being a hard-tackling midfielder, won loads of titles for United.
“The same with Souness. So I don’t know why when it comes to me it’s all about goals, because it’s never been my game. Since I’ve been scoring, no one has said anything.”
And the stats seem to support the Arsenal midfielder’s response.
In 613 appearances, Keane provided 77 goals and 45 assists.
Souness scored 82 times and assisted 44 goals in 579 games, whilst Redknapp scored 47 goals and registered 32 assists in 374 appearances.
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Meet the Arsenal Wags from Strictly star to a flight attendant
Tomali Benson – partner of Bukayo Saka
Benson and Saka have kept information on their relationship largely quiet.
They do not appear on each others Instagram pages but she was seen speaking to Saka at the 2022 World Cup.
Helene Spilling – partner of Martin Odegaard
A professional dancer from Norway who rose to fame in the country’s version of Strictly Come Dancing, the pair were first spotted together at the Football Awards in March 2023.
Sophie Weber – partner of Kai Havertz
Weber works as a model and social media influencer and is the most high profile member of the group on online with almost 400,000 followers on Instagram.
They are childhood sweethearts having grown up in the same neighbourhood.
Milly White – partner of Ben White
The couple got engaged in 2022 before tying the knot officially in May last year. They have matching “I love you tattoos” on their wrists. Milly White works as a model.
Laura Trossard Hilven – partner of Leandro Trossard
The pair met in 2014 before getting married in 2019.
They have two sons together, Thiago and Amadeo.
Lauren Fryer – partner of Declan Rice
Lauren Fryer and Declan Rice have been together since 2015. She tends to keep a lower profile compared to some of Arsenal’s other Wags but is no less stunning.
She sadly deleted all pictures on her Instagram after suffering horrific abuse by vile trolls.
Georgina Ramsdale – partner of Aaron Ramsdale
Georgina Ramsdale works as a flight attendant.
The couple got married last June after the Arsenal star proposed in 2022. They originally met in 2019.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
