Former AC Milan, Real Madrid, and Brazil attacking midfielder Kaka has named the three former England players he thinks he would’ve thrived alongside, during an exclusive interview with SPORTbible.
Kaka, 43, was one of the most gifted midfielders of his generation and is best known for his time under the tutelage of Carlo Ancelotti at AC Milan.
In 2007, he pipped top-class talent such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Didier Drogba to the Ballon d’Or and was widely dubbed as the best footballer in the world during that year.
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Kaka’s case was helped by the fact that he played an integral role in AC Milan securing a 2-1 victory against Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final to register the Italians' seventh European triumph.
On that occasion, he faced Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso in midfield and named the ex-Liverpool captain as one of three former England players he wished he had the chance to play alongside during his career.
When asked about the English players he thinks he could’ve thrived alongside, in an exclusive interview with SPORTbible, Kaka said: “Well, in the period [I played], I had very good battles against Wayne Rooney, I think it would’ve been nice to play with him.
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"I would say Rio Ferdinand, always tough to play against him, and I would also say Steven Gerrard, we had two Champions League finals (2005 and 2007). And he’s a player that I admire, really love the way that he played, and he was very elegant on the field and very fair. I would say those names.”
The 2002 World Cup winner then turned his attention to his time at Real Madrid.
The 43-year-old joined Los Blancos in the summer of 2009 for a then-world record transfer fee of £59m before Ronaldo's £80m switch from Man Utd broke the record in the same summer.
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And during his time in Spain, he faced Pep Guardiola's Barcelona side, which featured Messi, Andres Iniesta, and Xavi. But it was another Barca icon who Kaka deems as his toughest opponent in La Liga.
Kaka explained: “I would say [Carles] Puyol [was my toughest La Liga opponent], one of the best players of the team [at Barcelona].
"Captain, and for me as a midfielder/forward, I had to face him a lot of times, and he was hard to play against.”
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Kaka spoke to SPORTbible in association with FC Futures, EA SPORTS FC and LA Liga’s global grassroots program aimed at democratizing access to football by renovating local pitches, equipping communities with innovative training tools inspired by the EA SPORTS FC video game, and fostering youth engagement through football-based development programs.
He attended the opening of a newly revitalised community football pitch in the heart of Paraisópolis, São Paulo, which gave local children an unforgettable experience.
Topics: Kaka, Football, Premier League, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Paul Scholes, AC Milan, Real Madrid, La Liga, Spotlight
Luke Davies