"He was exceptional" – Mikael Silvestre lavishes praise on former Manchester United teammate who 'was so good on the ball'

Mikael Silvestre has heaped praise on his former Manchester United teammate Paul Scholes as the Frenchman was asked to pick his all-time best XI featuring stars he played alongside.

After graduating from the Red Devils youth academy as part of the "class of 1992", Scholes went on to become one of the club's greatest ever players, making 718 appearances across 19 full seasons in Sir Alex Ferguson's squad.

The former England midfielder won 11 top-flight titles, three FA Cups and two Champions Leagues, as well as being inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Silvestre was asked by FourFourTwo to name his ultimate XI containing the players he has graced the pitch with, which contained numerous French icons and Manchester United legends.

The former Red Devils defender selected Scholes as one of his central midfielders and explained his choice by saying:

"Paul was so good on the ball. Like Keane, he was a fantastic reader of the game, which also benefited him offensively. He was exceptional at dictating matches from midfield, making late runs into the box and scoring terrific goals – incredible volleys and long-range efforts."

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Mikael Silvestre names several Manchester United players in his all-time best team

Silvestre played under Ferguson and Arsene Wenger during their primes throughout the 2000s as well as earning 40 France caps, which gave the former centre-half plenty of choices for his XI.

Alongside Scholes, the Frenchman named four other United legends in his team, including fellow former centre-half Jaap Stam.

Silvestre named former captain Roy Keane in the lineup alongside Scholes in midfield, with iconic forward Cristiano Ronaldo placed on the right-wing.

Goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was the final United player named in the lineup, as the Dutchman's penalty save from Nicolas Anelka gifted his team the 2008 Champions league title following a penalty-shootout victory over Chelsea.

The 44-year-old also named four legends from Les Bleus, as 1998 World Cup winners Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desially all made the cut.

Javier Zanetti and Ronaldo from his Inter Milan days were also selected, with Silvestre naming Ferguson over Wenger as his greatest ever manager.

Speaking on the legendary Scottish boss, Silvestre claimed:

"He had great man-management skills and was tactically strong, but he also had the capacity to give his assistants responsibility. That introduced the players to different routines and methods."