Let’s look at the pool of players Ruud van Nistelrooy had to pick from when naming the best player he’s had the honour of playing alongside.
Cristiano Ronaldo, “other” Ronaldo, David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Wayne Rooney, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Raul, Patrick Kluivert, Iker Casillas, Arjen Robben, Fabio Cannavaro, Kaka, Xabi Alonso, Dennis Bergkamp.
The list goes on and on.
So we imagine it took some doing for the former Manchester United and Real Madrid centre-forward to pick one from the pack.
Van Nistelrooy, in his prime, was one of the most lethal finishers in the world and scored almost 400 career goals for club and country.
The Dutchman was lucky to play with some of the finest talents, not just of this generation, but of all time, and he’s found it within himself to select the very best.
Van Nistelrooy named Brazil legend Ronaldo as the pick of the bunch when answering questions during a Q&A for the Champions League’s official Twitter account.
Best player you've played with? @RvN1776 says @Ronaldo 🇧🇷
➡️ https://t.co/EG2belaIXX #ChampionDiTrophy #UCL pic.twitter.com/pa5SEDmrkQ
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 23, 2017
“The best player I’ve played with was at Real Madrid. Ronaldo was phenomenal,” van Nistelrooy said.
“A fantastic player, what special skills and especially the kind of guy he is too so, for me, he’s the best ever.”
