Arsenal Legend Robert Pires Names Man United Hero As The Toughest He’s Faced

Robert Pires had tough encounters with Gary Neville…

Former Arsenal wide-man Robert Pires named Manchester United legend Gary Neville as the toughest defender he’s faced and cited their rivalry during the heated encounters with Sir Alex Ferguson’s side as a fierce battle.

Pires ran the show from that left flank during his six-year stay at Arsenal and was heavily embroiled in those heated battles with Manchester United as we took two titles off them during that period.

The Frenchman was also voted the Player’s Player of the Year in 2002, despite missing a huge chunk of the season with a serious knee injury as we clinched another double.

Asked by Soccer AM fans who the toughest opponent he’s faced, Pires responded: “For me, it’s Gary Neville.”

“He kicked me all game. Old Trafford, Highbury, he was always shouting. It was normal because of the rivalry between Arsenal and Manchester United.”

Neville was often tasked to literally kick Pires out of the game and intimidate him in a sense, though Patrick Vieira was always close behind to enforce the law.

Given that the nature of Pires’ game meant that he often drifted across the midfield, it’s quite a surprise that he didn’t instantly mention Roy Keane as his toughest opponent.

Pires was also asked who the best player he played with was and the Arsenal ambassador couldn’t pick between Dennis Bergkamp and Zinedine Zidane, which shows how highly the Dutchman is rated.

Check out his full take in the video above.

Source: Soccer AM