Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney revealed that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was amongst the four toughest players he played against in his illustrious career.
The 34-year-old Derby County captain has enjoyed a prolific playing career and won five Premier League titles, a Champions League and Europa League with the Red Devils.
And Rooney has also shared the pitch alongside other legendary footballers like Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
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When he was asked about the best players he played against, Rooney picked out the toughest opponent for each position.
The former England captain told his official website: "There's been so many over the years but I'll try and pick one for each position.
"The best goalkeeper I've come up against is Iker Casillas, he's won everything you can in the game and is one of the best goalkeepers of all time.
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"The best defender is probably John Terry, he reads the game well, he is physical and very tough to play against.
"For midfield, I'd say Xavi, he's got everything, brilliant passing, vision, creativity and leadership.
"The best striker has to be Lionel Messi, in my opinion, he's the best player ever and I'm honoured to have shared a pitch with him."
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Rooney also revealed that the two 'standout' players he played alongside were none other than Scholes and Ronaldo.
"I'd say there are two that stand out and they're Paul Scholes and Cristiano Ronaldo," he said.
"Paul Scholes is one of the best midfielders of all time. His passing, vision and the way he controlled the tempo of games was incredible.
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"Cristiano is a special player and he has gone on to be one of the best in the world. Some of the things he used to do in training and then take into games was unbelievable, he'll always be remembered as one of the greats of the game."
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: Xavi, John Terry, Football News, Football, Lionel Messi, Iker Casillas, Wayne Rooney