Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale has admitted Ryan Giggs, Ronaldinho and Andrea Pirlo are the most exciting players he has ever played against – despite having battled with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the past.
Bale has been sidelined with an ankle injury since November, however the 27-year-old is expected to make his return against Napoli tonight in the Champions League.
Having won two Champions League titles, made over 100 Premier League appearances and currently plying his trade in La Liga, Bale has played against the very best players in the world.
However, when the Welshman was asked this week to name the most exciting players he has faced off against, Bale surprisingly failed to mention Ronaldo or Messi.
Ronaldo and Messi have of course dominated the Ballon d’Or for the last decade, with few others having a look in.
But for Bale, Giggs, Ronaldinho and Pirlo were all more exciting in their prime:
Back in 2011 and while still at Tottenham, Bale played against Ronaldo in the Champions League and the pair also lined up on opposite sides at EURO 2016.
The Wales international has also played several times against Messi, with both players featuring heavily in recent El Classicos.
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