EXCLUSIVE
David Seaman says Ronaldo is the best he ever played against during his illustrious career.
The legendary former goalkeeper came up against multiple players who now have legendary status among fans, having played in World Cups, European Championships, the Premier League and the Champions League as England and Arsenal's no.1.
2
From Manchester United's set-piece magician David Beckham to Brazil legend Rivaldo, Seaman's 22-year long career was littered with superstar opponents, while he also played with the very best in Thierry Henry and Alan Shearer as well as Becks.
One man stands out, though - and no, despite that Ronaldinho free-kick at the 2002 World Cup, it's his former Brazil teammate who takes 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.
READ MORE ON ENGLAND
"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."
Most read in Football
2
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.
Inspired by Ronaldinho and influenced by Manchester United duo Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo wants to emulate Jude Bellingham
He inspired the next generation of strikers, including AC Milan legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic and former England captain Wayne Rooney having taken the European stage by storm when he left Cruzeiro in Brazil in 1994 to join PSV as a teenager.
There is even a clip of Ibrahimovic playing for Inter in the Milan derby seemingly gazing in awe at Milan's Ronaldo. He said about Ronaldo: "As a young player I watched him and said to myself 'I want to be exactly like that'… the player who makes the difference, the shining light, simple as that".
Barcelona signed him in 1996 and in his single season there, he scored 34 times in 37 league games before Inter snapped him up a season later. There, in Serie A - one of the toughest leagues for strikers to score in - he found the back of the net 59 times in 99 games. "When we were training, we would practically stop to watch him. It was extraordinary," teammate Youri Djorkaef once said.
At Real, who landed him in 2002 he continued to wow players as well as fans and once earned a standing ovation for his hat-trick against Manchester United in a 2003 Champions League quarter-final second leg.
Seaman came up against 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, though, Seaman did something not many have done by keeping Ronaldo at bay both times.
Read More on talkSPORT
In 2011 goalkeepers and defenders everywhere breathed a sigh of relief when he hung up his boots, finishing career at Corinthians and 414 goals to his name.
Seaman was speaking to talkSPORT.com as part of Football Shirt Friday, where he recalled his first impressions of the Euro 96 'Fruit Pastilles' kit...