I faced Ronaldinho, Rivaldo and David Beckham, but 'unpredictable' Brazil star was best player I faced
24/04/2024 17:02
David Seaman says Ronaldo is the best he ever played against during his career.
The legendary ex-England, Arsenal and Manchester City goalkeeper came up against numerous footballing legends having played in World Cups, European Championships, the Premier League and the Champions League.
From Manchester United‘s set-piece magician David Beckham with Arsenal to Selecao legend Rivaldo at the World Cup, Seaman’s 22-year long career was littered with superstar opponents.
One man stands out though – and no, despitethatRonaldinho free-kick at the 2002 World Cup, it’s his former Brazil teammate that’s taken the crown.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com, Seaman said: “The best I played against was Ronaldo the Brazilian.
“He was brilliant. Obviously he was a striker and he was doing different things all the time.
“He was unpredictable. You didn't know what he was going to do. Was he going to chip it? Place it? Toe poke it?”
Seaman was blown away by how far ahead Ronaldo’s game was compared to other strikers he faced, too.
He continued: “He had everything in the game and was doing it way back then.
“I've been retired like 20 years and he was doing it ten years before that as well.”
Ronaldo was part of Real Madrid‘s Galacticos era in the early 2000s, which included big money signings Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo, Roberto Carlos and Beckham.
As well as winning the Ballon d’Or in 1997 and 2002 whilst with Inter Milan and then Real Madrid and claiming numerous domestic trophies, Ronaldo also won the World Cup in 1994 and 2002.
He was that mind-blowing in front of goal that he even inspired the next generation of strikers, including AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former England captain Wayne Rooney.
Seaman had to face the legendary striker twice. The first at the 1997 Tournoi de France and the second in the 2-1 loss at the 2002 World Cup quarter-final.
Despite him naming him as the best player he faced, Seaman managed to keep Ronaldo at bay both times.
That’s quite the achievement given R9 managed an astonishing 414 goals while playing for Cruzeiro, PSV, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Corinthians and Brazil.
Seaman joined talkSPORT.com on Tuesday as part of Football Shirt Friday, revealing a hilarious anecdote about his affectionately named ‘Fruit Pastilles’ Euro 96 shirt, which ended up being a massive hit.
