"One of the hardest I've played against" - Rio Ferdinand chooses Real Madrid legend as the toughest opponent he's ever faced
Rio Ferdinand snubbed former Ballon d'Or winners Ronaldo Nazario and Karim Benzema when picking his most difficult opponent.
In a recent interview with GOAL, Ferdinand was asked to choose his toughest opponent. At first he was asked to choose between Ronaldo and Thierry Henry. Ferdinand came up against Ronaldo in 2002-03 when the Brazilian scored a memorable hat-trick at Old Trafford.
After picking Ronaldo over Henry, he snubbed the Brazilian legend in favor of Arsenal icon Dennis Bergkamp. He picked Bergkamp over Ballon d'Or winners Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo as well. He eventually chose Real Madrid icon Raul over Bergkamp, saying:
"I am going to Raul."
"He's one of the hardest I've played against."
Ferdinand has played against Bergkamp during the Dutchman's Arsenal stint. Bergkamp was known for his silky smooth touches and classy manner of playing. Ferdinand picking him over multiple Ballon d'Or winners shows the respect Bergkamp garners. This also proves that not winning the Ballon d'Or doesn't diminish a player's individual quality.
Raul, on the other hand, is the third-highest goalscorer in Real Madrid's history. He is one of the best strikers to ever play for Real Madrid and Spain. Raul is also the fifth-highest goalscorer in the history of the UEFA Champions League (71).
Rio Ferdinand's old comments on Raul
Raul was known for his intelligent movement on the field as well as his classy finishing. He scored 323 goals for Real Madrid. He also scored 44 goals for Spain at the international level.
He is highly respected among his peers. Speaking about Raul, Ferdinand told UEFA's website back in 2013 (via United in Focus):
"Raul was difficult to get up against. He played off [the front] and asked you the question: 'Do you want to come in here and mark me? If you come in here someone else will run in the space you leave or I'll just get it, turn and play it in the space that you leave.'"
Ferdinand added:
"In terms of making you think, he was definitely the most difficult players played against."
During his legendary career, Rio Ferdinand has come up against top strikers. He has faced Didier Drogba, Henry, Sergio Aguero, Robin van Persie, Ronaldo, and more. Hence, him picking Raul shows how good the Spaniard was in his heyday.