Speaking on his YouTube channel, Rio Ferdinand has been getting into a bit of an argument about William Saliba.
Ferdinand hosts a podcast alongside Arsenal supporter, Joel Beya, on a weekly basis, and all season long his co-host has been showering William Saliba with praise.
The French defender was, of course, on the wrong end of a 3-1 defeat this weekend, and while Saliba didn’t have his best day, Beya continued to make the claim that Saliba is the best 21-year-old centre-back the Premier League has ever seen – a view that Ferdinand strongly disagreed with.
What’s been said?
The pundit reacted to his co-host’s claim.
“What are you chatting about? He’s finished with three goals in his net, I wouldn’t embarrass myself. I’m not saying he’s not a good player, but you can’t sit there after conceding three goals and start talking lavish about him, you just can’t,” Ferdinand said.
“If we’ve conceded a goal or two in a game and we’ve lost the game, even if they’re not a direct fault of mine, we take it together.”
The ex-England captain then made the case for Jonathan Woodgate, John Terry, Sol Campbell and Wes Brown all being better than Saliba at that age.
Way too early
Saliba has been exceptional so far this season – make no mistake about it, but to call him the best young centre-back in Premier League history is a huge statement to make and one that has come way too soon.
Ferdinand himself was an England regular by the age of 19, Jonathan Woodgate was starring in the Champions League as a 20-year-old, while Phil Jones – who has since declined, was winning the Premier League at 21.
You have to give credit where it’s due and say that Saliba is a class act, but he still has a lot to prove before anyone mentions him alongside the greatest youngsters in Premier League history.
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