Manolas reveals his all-time five favourite players

RONALDO LUIS NAZARIO DE LIMA

“O Fenomeno, who could ever forget him. He could do anything he wanted. He'd breeze past any opponent with ease and scored all sorts of goals – with finesse, power, his right foot, his left, his head... I remember watching him in awe on TV with his clubs and at World Cups.”

LIONEL MESSI

“He's unique, the best footballer in the modern era. I'm not sure we'll see another star quite like him again. He's got pace, technique and can score whenever he wants. Marking him is a nightmare. He doesn't play centre forward so I haven't had the job of marking him myself but seeing him in action on the pitch it becomes immediately obvious that keeping him quiet is a tall order indeed.”

CRISTIANO RONALDO

“This guy is world-class too. He's got the lot: dribbling skills, an eye for goal, physical prowess. I've played against him in the Champions League too and seeing him up close just confirmed the excellent impression I had from watching him on TV.”

ZINEDINE ZIDANE

“What impressed me about Zidane was the way he looked so graceful on the pitch yet had such a strong personality. Everyone respected him for those two sides of his game – pure skill and mentality. You hardly ever saw him put a foot wrong during the game, he always made the right choice. He had a superior footballing brain. He was an incredible player.”

RONALDINHO

“I remember watching him on TV and he used to send the crowd wild with his tricks, especially when he was at Barcelona. His technique was sublime and he had such amazing skill and guile when it came to beating his man. On top of all that he would produce the most unimaginable passes and goals. He truly was a delight to watch.”