Chelsea defender Levi Colwill snubs Cristiano Ronaldo as he claims former Liverpool forward was better in the Premier League

Chelsea defender Levi Cowill has snubbed Cristiano Ronaldo as he named Liverpool legend Ian Rush the best player to play in the Premier League (via The Boot Room).

Rush played a staggering 654 matches across competitions for the Reds, bagging 339 goals and 107 assists in the process. He won the league title on five occasions and the European Cup (now called the Champions League) twice, among other honors at Anfield.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo, who completed two spells at Manchester United, is now plying his trade at Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr. The 39-year-old striker is better known for his initial period at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009 rather than his disappointing time with the Red Devils from 2021 to late 2022.

Cowill's decision seems reasonable as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner failed to reach anywhere the numbers Rush registered. Ronaldo played 346 matches across competitions for the Manchester outfit, bagging 145 goals and 64 assists.

His second spell with the club ended with parties mutually terminating the Real Madrid legend's contract after Ronaldo seemingly fell out with manager Erik ten Hag. The Portuguese ace won the Premier League trophy three times and the UEFA Champions League once with Manchester United, among other honors.

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Former Chelsea star calls Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr a great team

Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Chelsea striker and current boss of UAE-based side Al Ain, Hernan Crespo, lavished praise on Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr after their AFC Champions League meeting.

The first leg of this quarter-final encounter ended in favor of Crespo's side, with Soufiane Rahimi bagging the game's only goal in the 44th minute. Speaking after the encounter, which saw Aymeric Laporte sent off in stoppage time (90+4'), Crespo said (via GOAL):

“It was a very tough match and an incredible performance. The players showed a great night against a good opponent with a lot of stars. And we deserved to win. We played very well, played really good football. But it’s not finished. It’s only the first half and then we need to finish this history there. It will not be easy.”

“Really, the result is good because every time you win is important, and more in these kinds of matches. But I don’t know if this is enough [yet], because we need to go there and live another battle," he added.

Al Ain will now travel to Riyadh for the second leg, which is scheduled for Tuesday (March 11). Ronaldo will be crucial for his side, having already scored 28 goals this campaign.