Pundit Gary Neville has praised Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior as Brazil prepared to face Switzerland at the World Cup.
Speaking on ITV as a pundit, the former England defender claimed that he “loves” the player, and emphasised that he would have a tough time facing him.
Speaking prior to Brazil’s victory over the Swiss in Group G, he said: “I absolutely love him. I just think, how would I play against him? I’d have an absolute nightmare.
“I always thought Dutch and Brazilian wingers were by far the hardest to play against.
“Their movement, their positivity on the ball, they’re direct, they run at you, and to be fair, they look at you like you’re a mug.”
TIF Thoughts on Neville and Vinicius…
Neville’s comments about Brazilian and Dutch wingers are no surprise given that he once claimed Dutchman Marc Overmars was the toughest player he had faced in his career.
Vinicius plays with a similar presence on the pitch as he can terrorise a full-back, with his sheer speed able to transform a team’s attack (he is the 15th-fastest forward in the Champions League), while his end product is now at a world-class level.
Indeed, the 22-year-old has scored 46 goals for Los Blancos – 22 of which came last season as he helped his side win a La Liga/Champions League double, and he is going from strength to strength at the highest level of European football.