Chelsea star Pedro did not mess around when we asked him to take part in talkSPORT’s all-star five-a-side challenge.
We caught up with the 32-year-old this week ahead of the Blues’ Premier League clash against London rivals Tottenham – in a crucial top-four battle – which is LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on talkSPORT.
Whenever we interview a top player, we ask him to pick an the best five-a-side team from the roster of stars they have played alongside throughout their career.
And it’s possible the Spanish winger has produced the greatest team we have EVER seen.
Having come through Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy and played in the side that won five LaLiga titles and three Champions League crowns in seven years, it’s fair to say Pedro has got plenty of talent to choose from.
And that’s before you even consider his international teammates, who whom he won back-to-back World Cup and European Championship titles, and the Chelsea stars he has played with, too.
With an embarrassment of riches to pick from, Pedro took some time to pick his top-five.
And there’s little argument with the team he selected, although there was no place for a certain John Terry.
So, starting with between the posts…
Goalkeeper: Iker Casillas
“Iker was one of the best keepers I played with. He made so many saves and was also a very good captain.
“I also played with Victor Valdes, Thibaut Courtois and now with Kepa, and these are all great goalkeeper, but Iker won a lot of titles, played a lot of matches, played a lot of finals and won the World Cup!
“He was one of the best players and, for me, the best goalkeeper in the world during his career.”
Defender: Carles Puyol
“Carles was a very good player with a good personality inside the dressing room and on the pitch.
“He always had a great character and mentality to compete, a strong will and was very strong person. For me he was the best defender in the world.
“I also played with Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and John Terry, and they were also great defenders, but if I had to choose one it was be Carles.”
Midfielders: Xavi and Andres Iniesta
“Xavi and Iniesta are two very different players.
“Iniesta is a great talent with the ball, a brilliant player, he dribbles so fast and is very intelligent when he plays the ball.
“Xavi was a master in this position. He was so clever, he always knew where everybody was on the pitch, he had great timing, he kept the ball very well and also had that final pass for the strikers.
“Again, I also played with David Silva, Cesc Fabregas and other players with great vision and creativity, some of the best players in this position.
“But they were the best two midfielders I played with in my career.
Striker: Lionel Messi
“The striker is easy, no? Lionel Messi is the best player in the world.
“He has six Ballon d’Or’s and also a lot of titles. Playing with him was a pleasure for me, it was a big pleasure to share a dressing room and play with him, to pass to him and set up goals for him and also win title together.
“I think he’s probably the best player in football history.
“Only a few players can say, ‘I played with Messi’, and this is the special reason to choose him.”
