Rooney rated the five most difficult central defenders: Terry, Pique, Maldini, Carvalho, Nesta

Recently, Rooney updated his podcast "Roone Show", and he revealed the five most difficult central defenders he encountered in his Champions League career.

Rooney was a key member of the Champions League championship in 2008 and made 88 appearances in the event. In his own podcast, Rooney said the defenders he encountered in the Champions League were more "ruthless" and "smarter" than opponents in the Premier League. He listed the five toughest defenders he has ever faced, with AC Milan's Nesta ranked fifth.

The Italian giants defeated Manchester United in the semi-finals of the 2006/07 season. When they lost 2-3 in the first leg, they won 3-0 in the second leg: "In the second leg, this is also an important reason why I chose him. He has become a completely different person: no breathing, no fatigue. We lost 0-3. I think we have improved as a team in that game, but their team is very strong, and that night was a real lesson for us."

Rooney ranked Chelsea's Ricciardo Carvalho in fourth place, calling him a "ruthless character", knowing a lot of "little tricks", and "cleverly let me get sent off in the World Cup."

Maltini was named the third strongest defender by Rooney, while former Manchester United and Barcelona star Pique ranked second. Pique is an important member of Barcelona who defeated Manchester United in the Champions League final twice: "He was still a young man at Manchester United, but he did not receive the respect he deserved."

Rooney's first choice was surprising, he was Chelsea's John Terry, and it was Terry's turnover and penalty penalty that helped Manchester United defeat Chelsea in the 2008 Moscow final. Rooney also played Terry in the knockout stage, and Manchester United beat Chelsea 3-1 in the quarterfinals in 2011: "There is no doubt that he is the hardest to deal with, he is a tough opponent."

"Before every game I think: he is not fast, I can take him to the wing. But when it comes to leadership, he performed very well when it comes to England captain. Whether in the hotel or elsewhere, he always strives to keep everything in order."

"He has a very tough defense, excellent air confrontation, never backs back, and set-pieces are very threatening. He is a defender who gets hurt when you get close to him, he doesn't mean it, but he always leaves you with some traces. I don't think people give him enough praise, and he has a great ability to play with both feet."

Two former Real Madrid stars Pepe and Ramos did not appear on Rooney's top five list, although the two are considered one of the best defenders of their generation.