Talking to former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand’s #5 magazine in an exclusive interview, Thierry Henry argued that his former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi has been the best player over the last five years.
The New York Red Bulls skipper told Ferdinand, “Lionel Messi is the best player in the world but I respect the amount of work Cristiano Ronaldo has put into the game.”
“But Messi is just a freak,” he continued. “It is nice for kids to watch as they can see one guy who was given a gift and the other guy who does it through hard work. Louis Saha used to tell me he was the hardest worker at Manchester United. I am not saying Messi does not work hard – but it is more natural.”
“Ronaldo had to work really hard to reach the top. They have the same mentality but that’s the difference.”
Always a player with an interest towards the entertainment business, Rio Ferdinand’s magazine, called "#5", had its first issue published in April of that year, and the show itself has seen guests ranging from actors like Don Cheadle and Seth Rogen and music artists like Jay Sean and Trey Songz.