"Ronaldo is number one!" EPL legend heaps praise on former teammate
In a candid and entertaining discussion with former Arsenal teammate Edu, EPL legend Gilberto Silva has lavished praise on his Brazilian teammate Ronaldo and has named him the best football player he has ever played with.
Gilberto Silva was a defensive midfielder in the famous "Invincibles" squad assembled by Arsene Wenger at EPL giants Arsenal. The Brazilian dominated the midfield in the EPL alongside Patrick Vieira and benefitted from the exploits of EPL legends Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.
Gilberto Silva has shared the pitch with some of the best footballers to have ever graced the EPL. The midfielder has claimed that his national teammate Ronaldo Nazario surpassed all his illustrious EPL teammates and was the best player in the world for a time.
"There were so many fine players, but I would rank Ronaldo 'O Fenomeno' as number one because he made such a difference."
Arsenal's Brazilian midfielder also shared a dressing room with the likes of Ronaldinho and EPL legend Thierry Henry but said that while most of his teammates were great in their own right, Ronaldo was a cut above the rest.
"There were others as well, like Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, and Dennis Bergkamp, but Ronaldo is at the top of the list."
EPL and Arsenal great Edu names Paul Scholes and Andres Iniesta the most intelligent midfielders
Former Arsenal and EPL midfielder Edu also weighed in on the debate and agreed that Ronaldo was one of the best players he had ever come across. The attacking midfielder also laid emphasis on his admiration for intelligent players and named Manchester United legend Paul Scholes as one of the smartest players in EPL history.
"The real difficulty is playing against intelligent players who know exactly what we are thinking. I can tell you that that player is Paul Scholes."
Edu lavished praise on the EPL great and said that playing against a star-studded Manchester United midfield with Paul Scholes pulling the strings was one of the most difficult challenges he had ever faced as a football player.
"Every time I faced Scholes, I thought he was different from the rest. He was always thinking and his thoughts were different from mine."
Edu also reserved special praise for former Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta. The Spanish legend went up against a formidable Arsenal side in the 2006 Champions League final and left Edu thoroughly impressed with his skill set.
The former EPL midfielder said that often used to think of Andres Iniesta as the Lionel Messi of the midfield. Iniesta was known for his mesmerising dribbling skills and silky runs and has tormented EPL sides in the past.
"There were others as well, who were incredible to play against. I used to joke that Andres Iniesta was the midfield Messi. I understood that he was different with the way he drove forward, his thoughts and quick thinking."
Gilberto Silva and Edu were also impressed with the meteoric rise of compatriot and young EPL sensation Gabriel Martinelli. The Arsenal striker has exploded on to the scene this season and has presented a legitimate claim for a place in the EPL side's starting eleven.
Arsenal is currently 9th in the EPL table and go up against a formidable Manchester City side on Wednesday.
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