Rangers’ manager, Steven Gerrard opined that he would not take Cristiano Ronaldo in his all-time team of the players he faced off-against at any point in his career. The Liverpool legend faced Cristiano Ronaldo while the Portugues was playing for Manchester United in Premier League and Real Madrid in Champions League at Anfield.
In an episode of The Greatest Game podcast with his former teammate Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard was asked to name an all-star five-a-side team. The Anfield famous selected the best players he had come up against the players on the footballing field during his club and country.
But Gerrard admitted he could not find a place for Ronaldo – and offered an explanation for his decision, including Lionel Messi instead.
“There are certain players who are on a different level to anyone else out there, Messi and Ronaldo,”
“But Ronaldo doesn’t get in my team. I am more about what you are going to do for the team.
“He will win you things but I am more about a team player than an individual player.”
On the rest of his side, Gerrard says: “Buffon, the best goalkeeper I have played against.
“I would go Maldini, he was a hero of mine. One-club man, a lot of European Cups – and a good looking f ***** too.
“I am going to go attacking with the three best players I have played against Zidane, the stuff he could do. His legs were always in control of the ball. He used to glide.
“He was just a god. He was a freak for me.
“Ronaldinho had a two, three year spell when he was on his own.
“He did things on a pitch where you think ‘how has he done that’.
Cristiano Ronaldo shut out his critics by scoring his first-ever hattrick in Serie A. Also, he became the first player in the footballing history to score hattricks in three different leagues of Europe. On the other hand, Rangers are all set to face Lokomotiv Tashkent on Saturday in a club-friendly.
