Crystal Palace midfielder Jefferson Lerma was blessed enough to play against Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, and he gives his opinion on who is the best.
Lerma, with the fourth-highest number of appearances among Colombians in Premier League history, continues to face challenging assignments up against the likes of Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah.
But, his journey began in England in 2018 after spending three seasons in La Liga with Levante, where he confronted the formidable talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during their stints at Real Madrid and Barcelona.
He told talkSPORT who he thinks is the best: “I’ve been lucky enough to come up against some of the biggest stars, [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo in their best moments.
“It’s very difficult to say [who’s the best I’ve faced] but probably Cristiano Ronaldo.
“They’re totally different but they’re all at the top of their game for a reason: they work hard, and that’s why they’re so successful.”
Having encountered some of the best players to ever grace the earth, Lerma approaches another daunting task up against Salah against Liverpool on Saturday. But given his experiences against Ronaldo and Messi he is unfazed by the prospect of facing formidable opponents like the Egyptian international at Selhurst Park.