Greatness recognises greatness: Man United legend Paul Scholes has named former Arsenal talisman Patrick Vieira among the most difficult opponents he has ever faced.
"As a midfield player, especially the way I played, I didn’t really have to beat people, I didn’t have to be stronger than the other person, I didn’t have to be quicker than the other person, it was more my passing that beat them," the former England international told BBC as cited by Teamtalk.
"I suppose the awkward ones... obviously Patrick Vieira, he’s so long, he’s so big. You think you’ve got the ball, next minute he nicks the ball over your head.
"He was a clever player as well, he could play one-twos around you, he could score goals, he could make goals."
We still miss a player like Patrick:
Scholes is not the only former great who could not stand playing against Vieira, with Alan Shearer saying that the Frenchman was 'horrible' to face. However, another Scholes' nightmare perhaps comes as a surprise for many.
"There’s one more that people won’t think of, when I played against Portsmouth, do you remember Papa Bouba Diop? He played for Fulham as well," the former United man added.
"Big, massive, they used to call him the wardrobe. Get involved with him physically, you’re absolutely wasting your time.
"I always found him awkward to play against. ‘Look, he wasn’t a Patrick Vieira, of course, he wasn’t, but he still had talent. As far as players being awkward to play against, I always found him a nuisance."
Arsenal had truly a great rivalry with Man United in the 2000s. Both sides were challenging for the title at that time and we surely miss these days when the likes of Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane locked horns on, and occasionally off, the pitch.
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