"He did everything the team needed" - Roberto Carlos snubs Zidane and Ronaldo, picks ex-Manchester United star as best-ever teammate

Brazil legend Roberto Carlos has snubbed Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo Nazario, picking former Manchester United star David Beckham as his best-ever teammate.

The quartet were teammates at Real Madrid, sharing the locker room between 2003 and 2006. While the Los Blancos team during that period earned the reputation of being a star-studded squad, they won only one trophy and went trophyless for two consecutive seasons.

Zidane was the first to leave, retiring from the sport after the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Interestingly, the other three left in the summer of 2007, with Beckham joining MLS side LA Galaxy.

During a recent episode of The Obi One Podcast, Carlos was asked to name the best player he ever played with and said:

“Beckham, of course, Beckham. Zidane was top. But Beckham was a close friend of mine and a role model. The best in training and the best during games. Running all the time and making incredible passes. He played with all his heart.

Carlos admitted that people hold Ronaldo and Zidane in high esteem, but he doubled down on his claim, insisting that Beckham was the most consistent and best. He continued:

“No matter what people say about Ronaldo, Zidane, Raul, Luis Figo, in the four years of the Galacticos, in my opinion, Beckham was the most consistent and the best. Beckham was for the team. Beckham would attack and defend. He would pass. He did everything the team needed. Things that the public didn’t see, but we as a team on the pitch saw all these attributes.”

When Sir Alex Ferguson opened up about David Beckham’s exit from Manchester United

David Beckham might have played at Real Madrid, but it was at Manchester United where the former England international made a name for himself. The 50-year-old came through the ranks at Manchester United and made his senior debut in 1992.

He was part of the club's famed Class of '92 and a member of the treble-winning squad of 1999. However, he left the club in 2003, with reports suggesting his exit was the result of a strained relationship with legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson.

Years after, Ferguson lifted the lid about the circumstances surrounding Beckham's exit, claiming that the player’s commitment to football was disrupted by his desire for fame.

“David was the only player I managed who chose to be famous, who made it his mission to be known outside the game,” Ferguson revealed in his 2013 autobiography. “The minute a Manchester United player thought he was bigger than the manager he had to go... David thought he was bigger than Alex Ferguson. There is no doubt about that in my mind.”

Despite the manner of his departure, Beckham had a successful stint at Manchester United, winning multiple trophies, including the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.

Edited by Ezekiel Olamide