Former Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov has named Liverpool midfielder Fabinho in his all-time XI of players he shared the pitch with during his professional career.
The duo played together during their time at Monaco and it appears the Bulgarian still holds his former teammate in high regard.
Explaining why he chose to pick the Liverpool star in the line-up, the former Manchester United midfielder told Optus Sport (via Liverpool Echo):
“I don’t want to be boring, I want to say something that will surprise people – so I’ve gone with Fabinho. We were in Monaco together, he was a young boy back then. I came from the Premier League but straight away I could see his talent. He was very good in training, taking responsibility in the games, he could play at right-back and in the middle of the park.”
Berbatov also recalled coming up against Fabinho in one-on-one duels during training sessions at Monaco. The former Manchester United forward continued:
“In training sessions, I was used to physical contact, most of the time I was smashing him here and there, with elbows and shoulders so he could go on the ground.”
He added:
“He was like, ‘Berba, come on!’ and I’m like, ‘I’m preparing you for the Premier League.’ Funnily enough, years later he’s in the Premier League and one of the best players in the Liverpool team.”
Berbatov played for Monaco between 2014 and 2015. He made 53 appearances across all competitions, recording 18 goals and eight assists.
Fabinho, on the other hand, represented the Ligue 1 giants between 2013 and 2018, playing 233 games across all fronts and contributing 31 goals and 21 assists. He left the club to join Liverpool in a deal worth €45 million in the summer of 2018 and has been a pivotal figure for the Reds ever since.
What’s next for Liverpool and Manchester United?
Jurgen Klopp’s men will switch their focus to the Premier League this weekend after securing a vital 2-0 victory over Rangers in the Champions League yesterday (October 4). They are scheduled to face table-toppers Arsenal in a highly-anticipated fixture on Sunday (October 9)
Manchester United, meanwhile, will take on Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League tomorrow (October 6) before squaring off with Everton in the Premier League on Sunday.