Sports
Wayne Rooney Names 5 Greatest Defenders He Ever Faced in the Champions League
Wayne Rooney surprisingly omitted Sergio Ramos from a list of five of the toughest defenders he encountered on Champions League nights with Manchester United. Ramos is one of the most successful defenders in the competition’s history, winning the European trophy four times.
No defender has made more appearances in Europe’s elite club tournament than Ramos, who has continuously made history in his 142 outings. The Spaniard famously scored a crucial last-gasp equaliser to send Real Madrid on their way to victory over rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2014 final.
Rooney, speaking to BBC Sport, made no mention of the former Madrid captain when listing the hardest defenders he came up against during his illustrious career. The iconic former English striker was part of a United side that won the trophy in 2008, and he went head-to-head with some of the very best centre-backs to have graced the sport, a pool of defensive talent he feels was superior to that of the present day.
6
Alessandro Nesta
AC Milan are renowned for their defensive stalwarts and one of the most celebrated Italians in history is Alessandro Nesta. He was an accomplished ball-winner whose versatile profile played a key role in Rosseneri’s side that dominated European football in the 2000s.
Nesta got his hands on the European title twice with Milan, including in the 2006-07 season at the expense of Rooney and United. The Englishman was kept quiet in a 3-0 loss at the San Siro, which he alluded to:
“We played against him in 2007 in the Champions League. He was very clever, he always looked in control of what he was doing, he could be nasty as well.”
Rooney also recalled a 3-2 victory at home in which he scored a brace: “We played AC Milan at Old Trafford in the first leg. After 10 minutes I could hear him breathing heavily behind me and ‘I thought I’ve got him, he’s not getting through 90 minutes’. He managed to get through it – but I scored in the last minute [as United won 3-2].”
He concluded: “But in the second leg – and a big reason why I picked him – he was a completely different player, no heavy breathing, no panting. We lost 3-0… I felt we made progress as a team but [AC Milan] had an incredible team – and that was a real lesson for us.”
|
Alessandro Nesta Champions League Career |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances: |
78 |
|
Goals: |
0 |
|
Assists: |
0 |
|
Trophies: |
2 |
5
Ricardo Carvalho
Rooney didn’t just come up against Ricardo Carvalho in the Champions League but also in the Premier League as part of the best defensive side in English top-flight history. Jose Mourinho signed the Portuguese three times during his career, including after taking over as Chelsea boss in 2004.
Carvalho was a Rolls-Royce centre-back whose elegance on the ball matched a tidy defensive profile that forged one of the best defensive partnerships. He only faced Rooney once in Europe, on the losing side of the 2008 Champions League final in Moscow.
Rooney delved into their battles, including at international level:
“Difficult to play against, experienced leader, clever in the way he got me sent off in the World Cup [in 2006]. He was organised, such a good header of the ball, could tackle. Maybe he was overlooked a bit because of John Terry at Chelsea.”
The Portuguese is remembered for his defensive prowess and aerial abilities and Rooney pointed out his nasty side: “But Carvalho was a massive part of Chelsea’s success. He was nasty as well. There is a theme with the players I picked. They were all clever and knew the little tricks.”
|
Ricardo Carvalho Champions League Career |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances: |
86 |
|
Goals: |
3 |
|
Assists: |
2 |
|
Trophies: |
1 |
4
Paolo Maldini
For many, Paolo Maldini is the best defender of all-time and that is reflected in his trophy cabinet which boasts five European titles. He transitioned from a full-back into a colossal centre-back whose reading of the game was second to none.
The Italian’s longevity was astounding, making 901 appearances for AC Milan before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He was at the back end of his career when Rooney arrived on the scene but the Red Devils’ all-time top scorer was wowed the three times they faced one another:
“I used to watch him growing up and he was an iconic player. When I came up against him it’s probably one of the only times I have been in awe on a pitch. He was so clever.”
Rooney added: “What I really liked was he understood the way the next five minutes of the game were going, when he was talking to his team-mates you could see them listening to him, he had that aura about him.”
Maldini’s leadership qualities were crucial for Milan and Italy and Rooney suggested he was always in control against the opposition: “His defending, his reading of the game, you think you have got past him, but he would put himself in a better position.”
|
Paolo Maldini Champions League Career |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances: |
116 |
|
Goals: |
3 |
|
Assists: |
6 |
|
Trophies: |
3 |
3
Gerard Pique
One Spaniard who made Rooney’s list was Gerard Pique and he knows all about the qualities the Barcelona legend possessed. Pique spent a brief period of his career at United and was a member of Sir Alex Ferguson‘s squad that won the Champions League in 2008.
Rooney feels Pique, a World Cup winner with Spain, deserved more recognition:
“A player I played with and against. He was a young lad at Manchester United but he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. He wasn’t the quickest but he put himself into really good positions to counteract that.”
Pique wasn’t the fiercest centre-back but his tall frame made him a nuisance in the air while he was reliable with the ball at his feet. Those attributes were highlighted: “His ability with the ball was as good as any defender you will ever see in terms of passing through the lines and starting attacks off.”
The Spaniard won the Champions League four times and Rooney waxed lyrical about his personality: “He was a winner, a great character, fun to be around when we played with him. His problem at United was when he came through, technically he was fantastic but the question was could he cope with it physically.”
He concluded: “It was a toss of the coin between him and Jonny Evans, we all felt at the time Jonny was the better player and was more suited to the Premier League. The manager kept Jonny and let Gerard go back to Barcelona. I don’t think any of us could imagine the career he went on to have.”
|
Gerard Pique Champions League Career |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances: |
128 |
|
Goals: |
16 |
|
Assists: |
2 |
|
Trophies: |
4 |
2
1
John Terry
Rooney described playing against John Terry as being a horrible affair and the iconic English centre-back was always up for the fight. He was Chelsea’s skipper during the Mourinho-Ferguson rivalry and led by example with a never-say-die attitude and playing style.
Terry’s former England teammate said: “Without a doubt the best. He was horrible to play against. Talking about leaders, he was fantastic as captain of England when I played with him. How he defended, he was strong, good in the air, never pulled out of tackles, was a threat on set-pieces.”
Nobody will forget the scenes of a tearful Terry after famously missing his penalty in Chelsea’s shootout defeat to United in Moscow. There were some who felt his pain because his contributions throughout his time at Stamford Bridge deserved a European trophy which eventually arrived in 2012:
“He was one of those defenders who when you went near him he would just hurt you. He didn’t mean to, but he would leave something on you all the time. I don’t think people give him the credit he deserves, he was incredible with both feet.”
Terry went to war with Rooney on 28 occasions, the third joint-highest player to face the United icon. He was trusted against some of the very best strikers in the world and also scored vital goals during his career.
|
John Terry Champions League Career |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances: |
109 |
|
Goals: |
10 |
|
Assists: |
6 |
|
Trophies: |
1 |
Sports
Man Utd Show Aggressive Interest in Signing Gilberto Mora
Manchester United are among the clubs showing a strong interest in Mexico sensation Gilberto Mora after his performances at the World Cup, according to TEAMtalk.
The Red Devils are keen to add to their midfield this summer after losing Casemiro at the end of his contract, while Manuel Ugarte has suffered a serious knee injury. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans have been brought in for a combined fee of £85m, but the club are now pushing for a third midfielder to complete the rebuild.
A number of names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but the club have now emerged as one of the teams taking a close look at the supremely talented teenager.
Man Utd Eyeing Gilberto Mora
Mora, who has been described as ‘fearless’ and compared to Barcelona star Pedri, shone for Mexico during the World Cup this summer despite being just 17, and has now attracted the attention of a number of Europe’s top clubs.
Man Utd are understood to have shown an aggressive early interest in a deal for the Tijuana central midfielder, but they have got strong competition for his signature.
Liverpool have made direct contact over a deal, while the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Ajax, PSG, Bayern Munich, and AC Milan are also said to be monitoring the situation.
Mora is understood to prefer a move to Real Madrid as his dream scenario, but he is not pushing to leave the Mexican side, who value him at around £25m due to the growing interest around him.
It’s also stated that Tijuana have a structured release clause as part of his contract which is designed to protect their interests, while his current deal runs until 2029, meaning they are under no pressure to sell this summer.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Mora is a Superstar in Waiting
Man Utd are in the market to strengthen their midfield options, but they are looking for players who can walk straight into the first-team and make an immediate impact.
While Mora is undoubtedly a superstar in the making, whether he could walk into the Premier League aged 17 and be someone who can affect games the way United need him to is a major question mark.
Should the club decide to proceed with a move for the teenager, it would likely be an extra deal, rather than the final midfield signing of the window. But they would have to put together a major pitch to convince him to join them over all the other interested clubs, which makes this a situation to watch in the coming weeks.
Sports
Liverpool Ready to ‘Demolish’ Transfer Record to Sign Bradley Barcola
Liverpool are now ready to smash the British transfer record again to sign a ‘world-class’ star for Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool chiefs are working overtime to strengthen Iraola’s squad ahead of the new season, with the only brand-new arrival so far this summer being Victor Munoz.
In a summer where the Reds have lost some key voices from the dressing room in Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah and Ibrahima Konate, and off the back of a disappointing season, that is clearly not enough.
A freshen up of the squad is needed and one of the big priorities is bringing in a replacement for Salah, who has been such a key player for the Merseyside outfit for a number of years in terms of his quality and extraordinary record of goals and assists.
As well as needing a response in the Premier League after a miserable defence of their crown, Iraola will also want to perform better than they did last term in the Champions League too.
While the Reds have decent depth on the left flank in Munoz, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha, that depth is lacking on the opposite side, with Federico Chiesa and Jeremie Frimpong two of the main options available there.
Liverpool Ready to ‘Demolish’ Transfer Record for Bradley Barcola
According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are now ready to ‘demolish’ their transfer record to sign Barcola this summer, after holding positive talks over a deal with the player’s representatives.
The Reds are now ready to make their move for the France international, with GIVEMESPORT sources revealing that their first bid is in the offing.
TEAMtalk report that the Merseyside outfit have been given fresh encouragement from the ‘world-class’ PSG winger’s camp over a move to Anfield, and while there is no agreement on personal terms yet, they aren’t expected to be an obstacle in any potential deal.
Liverpool are said to have made it clear they are willing to break the British transfer record again to bring the 23-year-old to the club, less than 12 months after they paid £125m to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.
PSG value Barcola at around £145m, but that asking price seemingly hasn’t deterred the Reds, who believe that he is the ‘closest fit’ to Salah available anywhere in Europe.
Liverpool Make £85m Barcola Alternative ‘Dream’ Signing
According to GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent Ben Jacobs, reporting for talkSPORT, Liverpool have identified exciting Bournemouth winger Rayan as their ‘dream’ target should they fail to make progress on a move to prise Barcola away from the Parc des Princes.
The Brazilian teenager only joined the Cherries in January, but he made a big impression in the second-half of the 2025-26 campaign with five goals in 15 Premier League appearances, striking up a strong partnership with Eli Junior Kroupi to help the south coast outfit qualify for Europe for the first time in their history.
It’s unclear how much Bournemouth would demand to sell Rayan this summer, with a £85m release clause for clubs incoming for 2027 for a player who looks to have a huge future ahead of him.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
Sports
Arsenal Want to Complete Deal to Sign Bruno Guimaraes by Sunday
Arsenal believe that they can tie up a deal to sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle United by the end of this week. That’s according to ESPN Brasil reporter Bruno Andrade.
The Gunners have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far, with winger Christos Tzolis their one big signing so far, arriving from Club Brugge in a deal worth around £34million.
Goalkeeper Illan Meslier has also come in, arriving on a free transfer from Leeds United, with Jakub Kiwior completing a permanent move away after a season-long loan deal with Porto and Leandro Trossard leaving for Besiktas.
Vinicius Junior move signalled Arsenal’s intent in the transfer window
Arsenal remain in the hunt for a new midfielder and another forward, with Mikel Arteta keen to make a statement signing as the Gunners look to defend their Premier League crown in 2026/27.
They have been linked with a sensational move for Vinicius Junior from Real Madrid, although it has now been reported that the Brazilian will stay at the Santiago Bernabeu.
However, they are still in talks over a move to sign Guimaraes, one of Vinicius’ teammates from the World Cup, with a move seemingly edging ever closer to completion.
Arsenal had an initial £55million bid rejected by Newcastle, who have already lost Sandro Tonali and Anthony Gordon this summer, with the Magpies holding out for £80million if they are to sell their ‘world-class’ player – something they are reluctant to do.
It seems the Gunners are closing in on a fee that could reach £75million all in, which they believe will convince Newcastle to sell.
Guimaraes to Arsenal could be completed by Sunday
Speaking on ESPN Brasil, Nadrade said: “Arsenal have raised the offer for Bruno Guimares, now they are offering £75million, £70million fixed plus £5million in objectives, totalling £75million.
“Two or three weeks ago the first offer of £55million was rejected so an agreement is starting to take shape. Newcastle are still waiting for an £80million offer, but given that Arsenal have already reached £75million it is very likely negotiations will progress positively this week since Bruno Guimaraes is in Brazil and returns to England on Friday and needs to report back [to Newcastle for training] on Monday.
Fees correct prior to summer 2026
All 10 found — excellent!
“The idea is that this won’t even be necessary, that the deal with Arsenal will be closed. He has already sent a positive message to Arsenal that he is open to it, that he wants to negotiate. He hasn’t forced an exit but has already signalled, communicated his desire to be transferred, to take this step in the Premier League.”
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