"He's unique" - Jermain Defoe chooses between Gareth Bale and PSG superstar Neymar
Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Jermain Defoe has picked his preferred player between Gareth Bale and Neymar.
Both Bale and Neymar burst onto the big stage in the first half of the previous decade. The then youngsters were considered by many fans to be prodigies who could carry forward the rivalry between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Following in the footsteps of the two football maestros, Neymar joined Barcelona to play with Messi while Bale joined the Real Madrid ranks alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
Over the years, both players have shown up on different occasions but neither has managed to dominate world football. Neymar has a better record when it comes to club football, whereas Bale has made a bigger impact on his national team's fortunes.
Asked to pick between the two on Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel, Gareth Bale's former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Defoe said:
"Bias or whatever it is, I'm saying Gareth because....it is a tough one. I played with Gareth, I just feel like what he did in such a short space of time in the UCL [UEFA Champions League] was unbelievable and the reason why I'm saying Gareth, he's unique."
Speaking about Neymar, the former English forward said:
"I love Neymar, the skills and stuff like that but when I say unique, physically there weren't many players that could do that. He [Bale] used to get the ball, knock it past people and just run. When you talk about the modern day game, that explosiveness was unbelievable.
"But I also love Neymar, Neymar would do things like flicking the ball up and you'd be like 'Wow,' but Gareth is just so explosive that it's unbelievable he could do that."
Speaking about their national teams, he said:
"He used to run the length of the whole pitch. Also, Neymar plays for Brazil and Gareth played for Wales and what he's done for Wales."
Neymar and Gareth Bale have never won the Ballon d'Or despite enjoying great careers
Both Neymar Jr. and Gareth Bale had the ability to be the best player in the world on their day. However, a lack of consistency to prove their mettle for an entire season has seen them fade away from the top stage. It is also part of the reason why neither player has ever won a Ballon d'Or.
Their career stats, though, make for incredible reading. Over the course of his club career, Neymar has recorded 292 goals and 187 assists in 470 matches. He has has also registered 77 goals in 124 matches for Brazil.
Gareth Bale, meanwhile, registered 186 goals and 137 assists in 554 club matches, while netting 40 times in 111 caps for Wales.