Cristiano Ronaldo has been named the toughest opponent by Ashley Cole, a former England defender, who said that the former Portuguese player was always learning and adapting.
After being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame, Cole revealed this on Monday, according to Daily Post.
Ashley Cole, who played for Arsenal and Chelsea, described Ronaldo as a complete footballer, who gave him nightmares on the pitch.
Cole said: “Over the years, Cristiano Ronaldo and I had some mighty battles and we have a mutual respect for each other.”
“He came to the Premier League as a little bit of an unknown, but he soon understood what it took to be a top player. He was willing to learn and adapt. He wanted to be the best player in the world and became a machine,” he added.
“He had everything. He could dribble, he could sprint behind, he could leap and jump and head a ball, he could go inside, he could go outside. So I say he always gave me nightmares, but you try to work each other out and we got the best of each other at times. Whenever I hear his name or see his face, I always think of when he made me do the splits! (in 2003/04, Ronaldo’s first Premier League season),” he further stated.