Leeds United legend Lucas Radebe believes the best player he ever faced was Newcastle United hero Alan Shearer. The South African and Englishmen were opponents on many occasions during their respective careers in the Premier League, and Radebe suggested Shearer's movement and physicality usually resulted in him scoring against him.
When asked who his toughest opponent was, Radebe told Sport.co.uk: “Alan Shearer.”
“Very difficult player, you know, with the referee on his side (laughs).”
“For us, it was a pain every time we were playing against him, trying to stop him.”
“Unfortunately, he was scoring each and every time he came to Elland Road! So it was a task to stop him but, at the end of the day, we’d watch him for most of the game and he’d get a goal by the end of it.”
“He was absolutely brilliant; he was watching all the moves, to position himself.”
“He was always getting attention from the referee, all the decisions going his way!”
“But he was a great player and he brought the best out of us defenders because we wanted to stop him. He’s a legend and he was the model pro, to the youngsters and to his fellow players.”
To read Sport.co.uk’s full interview with Lucas Radebe click here.