“I hated playing against this Manchester United great” – Former Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini admits
Chelsea legend Carlo Cudicini has named former Manchester United forward Ruud Van Nistelrooy among the Premier League strikers he hated playing against during his career.
The Italian goalie made 161 Premier League appearances across 13 seasons for Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – winning two FA Cups, two Football League Cups and two Community Shields during his nine-year spell at Stamford Bridge.
During his career, Cudicini came up against some of the best strikers in Premier League history, but named Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba and Arsenal legend Thierry Henry among the best he played against.
“I had the pleasure of playing alongside one of the best Premier League strikers of all-time in Didier Drogba; I had to face him every single day in training and it’s so easy to see why he’s so highly rated,” he told Ladbrokes.
“I then played against him in the FA Cup when I signed for Tottenham – he scored against me in the semi-final. Having trained with him for all those years at Chelsea, I can only sympathise with every goalkeeper who has ever had to face him.
“Aside from my teammates, it’s hard not to mention Ruud van Nistelrooy when I think about the toughest opponents I’ve come up against.
“He just had this unbelievable way of always seeming to be on the end of any ball that was put into the box. Somehow he was always in the right position, and that’s what made him so special.
“But for me, the one name I’m not afraid to say I feared was Thierry Henry. A lot of people don’t like to use that word ‘fear’ in football, but I absolutely hated playing against Henry.
“He was a genius in so many ways; he was so unpredictable and so difficult to read. His speed and intelligence were second to none; he had everything.
“At that time, it was Arsenal and Chelsea who were always battling it out at the top of the table, so whenever we played them it was a huge occasion, and you just knew he was the sort of player who thrived under those circumstances.
“I played quite a few times against him and I don’t think I’ve come up against anyone better.”