Neville and Carragher recently engaged in a debate about Declan Rice’s playing position ahead of the Premier League’s return. Neville doubted Rice’s ability to retrieve the ball like Rodri, prompting Carragher to defend Rice’s skills.
Scholes supported Carragher, while Neville argued that Rice’s performance may be better in a left-channel position for Arsenal with Jorginho at No.6. Neville stated that he sees Rice as a midfield player who can play both as a No.8 and a defensive role.
He acknowledged that Rice may not be on the same level as Modric or Rodri, but he questioned whether it’s fair to say he’s not good enough because he doesn’t match the best players in the world in receiving the ball. Rice played the full 90 minutes during England’s matches against Ireland and Finland and had an exemplary record of not missing a single game last season.
However, he received a second yellow card in a recent match, resulting in his first career red card. The incident occurred due to Rice kicking the ball away during a draw with Brighton, and he expressed frustration with the booking for delaying the restart not being consistently enforced.