“Hard to beat that” – Roy Keane refuses to name Lionel Messi as he picks 3 greatest players of all time

Manchester United legend Roy Keane recently named his top three footballers of all time and snubbed Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi from his list.

Keane was in conversation with Liverpool great Jamie Carragher following Manchester United's 2-1 win over Everton in the Premier League on October 9. The duo were asked to name their top three footballers of all time after Messi's arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 700th club goal in the match.

Keane replied by naming Diego Maradona, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane as his top three players of all-time.

“Maradona, Ronaldo, Zidane, I think he has to be up there. Brilliant player, nasty, scored a goal, won the big prizes ... Hard to beat that,” he said.

While talking about his Premier League top three of all time, the former Manchester United skipper named Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Thierry Henry.

Carragher, on the other hand, named Lionel Messi, Maradona and Zidane as his top three footballers of all time.

Recency bias could have crept into Keane's analysis as Ronaldo had just scored his 700th club goal, taking a nine-goal lead on his eternal rival Messi.

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Lionel Messi not far behind Cristiano Ronaldo in club goals scored

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player in football history to score 700 club goals with his 44th-minute strike during Manchester United's 2-1 win over Everton.

The Portuguese was a little fortunate as he came on as a first-half sub following Anthony Martial's injury. However, he made full use of the opportunity and scored with a superb finish at the near post on a breakaway after being released by Casemiro.

Ronaldo's strike took his season's tally to two goals across competitions in 10 matches. He has been relegated to the bench by manager Erik ten Hag after the first two games of the season, with the Dutch tactician opting for younger and quicker frontmen.

Lionel Messi, on the other hand, has started the season in handsome fashion, shedding off his disappointments from the last campaign. He has already scored eight times and assisted as many goals in 13 matches this season.

Overall, he has scored 691 club goals in 825 matches and is well on course to become the second player to score 700 club goals behind his arch-rival. It's worth noting that Ronaldo took 943 matches to reach the milestone. The Argentine looks set to achieve the feat in fewer games.

It remains to be seen if the Paris Saint-Germain superstar will get to the 700-goal mark in the ongoing campaign itself.