GARY NEVILLE and Jamie Carragher picked their Premier League teams of the decade – but fans were not convinced by a few selections.
The pair revealed all during last night’s Monday Night Football as they racked their brains to select the best performers over the last ten years.
It all started off rather harmoniously between the pundits as they both went for David De Gea in goal and a defence of Pablo Zabaleta, Vincent Kompany, Virgil van Dijk and Cesar Azpilicueta.
But while there was little doubt over four of the back five – with nine Premier League winners medals between them – some viewers were unconvinced by Van Dijk’s inclusion, even if Kompany reckons the ex-Celtic man is the best ever Prem defender.
There is no doubt the Dutch international has been one of the best players in world football since making his switch to Anfield in January 2018.
‘INSULTING’
But whether that justifies his place in the team of the decade is another matter.
One said on Twitter: “VVD has one good season and everyone acts like hes invented football.”
Another wrote: “VVD over Terry is insulting. They havent won the league. 5 goals for Liverpool to JTs 50 club & country.”
A third added: “VVD in a team of the decade after a season and a half? Great player, but really?”
It was further forward that Carragher and Neville had their differences.
Both Sky Sports men went for Manchester City legends Yaya Toure and David Silva in their midfield.
But while the ex-Liverpool defender went for N’Golo Kante to complete his three, Neville surprisingly opted to put Eden Hazard in a centre-mid role – to Carra’s disbelief.
The Reds legend joked: “How do we wonder how he failed at Valencia when he’s got Eden Hazard in midfield?
“Kante is a World Cup-winner, he’d get in a world XI possibly now. He won the league at Leicester, then came to Chelsea and won the league and was probably the best player in both years. He’s got to go in there.
“The one who I was very close to putting in was Kevin De Bruyne. I think if he hadn’t got injured a year or so ago and had another 12 months of real quality he maybe would have pushed me with Yaya Toure.”
ALL-OUT ATTACK
Carragher did also name Hazard in his team – but did so in his more traditional left-wing role that he accommodated at Chelsea for seven years.
Neville and Carragher selected Sergio Aguero after winning four Premier League titles in the 2010s and the Anfield hero completed his line-up with Gareth Bale.
He said: “The reason I went for Bale is because he wasn’t in the league for a long time across the full decade, but he won PFA Player of the Year twice and Young Player of the Year.
“It’s a big thing to win PFA Player of the Year. To do it twice in three years is unbelievable, and it then got him the move [to Real Madrid] for the world-record fee.
“I think what he did in those three or four years, being the best player in the league for two out of three years, is something special.”
Ex-Manchester United star Neville decided on three traditional strikers rather than wingers as he picked Harry Kane and Luis Suarez – a former team-mate of Carragher’s – to accompany Aguero.
Nev said: “I love Aguero to bits and that’s why I put him in.
“But ultimately if you were telling me to pick a front two, I would want Kane and Suarez. Suarez is a phenomenon as a player, he’s absolutely unbelievable.”
