Ex-Manchester City star Joleon Lescott has more than delivered with his Perfect XI
(Image credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Former Manchester City star Joleon Lescott has told FourFourTwo his Perfect XI of former teammates.
Lescott also played for the likes of Aston Villa, Everton and West Brom in his Premier League career, as well as making 26 England appearances in six years.
FourFourTwo sat down with him to ask what a team of his best-ever team-mates would look like.
Manchester City star Joleon Lescott picks his Perfect XI…
Joleon Lescott's Perfect XI (Image credit: Future)
GK: Joe Hart
“During his spell as both Manchester City and England’s No.1, he was ridiculous. One game stands out from 2015, against Barcelona at the Camp Nou – he saved basically everything that night and must have racked up double figures against Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar. Crazy talent and a great guy, too.”
RB: Micah Richards
“People will assume it’s because he’s a mate and I’m biased but, honestly: his best games are among the greatest I’ve ever seen from a right-back. No one was getting past Micah. He absolutely loved to defend, and while he didn’t get forward as much as he could have, he was still a real attacking threat.”
CB: Rio Ferdinand
“Quite simply the best centre-back England have produced in recent times. He’s the guy who personally helped me so much, not just by speaking to me, but by watching him and realising that prevention is better than a cure for a defender. You don’t have to slide in and make last-ditch tackles if you can prevent it further up the pitch.”
CB: Vincent Kompany
“Similarly, Vinnie will go down as one of the Premier League’s finest defenders, when all’s said and done. I had a solid partnership and understanding with him – we complemented each other so well and knew what stages of our careers we were both at. Our partnership was so instinctive that we never had to think what the other was going to do.”
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LB: Ashley Cole
“Leighton Baines would have been the top left-back of the era were it not for Ash – that tells you how exceptional he was. But Ash was easily the most consistent player I played with for England. When you look at the all-time greats, he’ll be there – he must be one of the only England players who started each of his first 100 caps. Incredible.”
CM: Yaya Toure
“I could have had Patrick Vieira but he wasn’t prime Patrick when I played with him, so he’ll have to be on the bench. Yaya was amazing for Manchester City and whenever he played well, the team played well. There was never a time when he’d get man of the match and we’d lose 2-1 – he played and we’d win 3-0.”
CM: Steven Gerrard
“Paul Ince was also in with a shout here. He was my hero growing up as I was a tackling midfielder, and he helped my early career at Wolves, but Stevie is the complete midfielder. He could do everything and you trusted him to impact a game.”
AM: David Silva
“If Yaya is the best player I played with, David is the best footballer. The most intelligent guy I ever saw on a pitch, and he had the purest ability. He didn’t even have to ride tackles. He had poise and grace, and opponents couldn’t get near him – I don’t know how he did it. For a decade, he was as good as it gets.”
RF: Wayne Rooney
“My front three covers all bases with pressing, flair and goals. Wayne epitomised the team ethic and never stopped running, but he had outrageous skill and an eye for goal, too. The perfect forward to have in your side.”
CF: Sergio Aguero
“Sergio had this single-mindedness to score. The ‘Aguero moment’ to win the title against QPR defines him. Like Thierry Henry bending it in from the left, that’s an Aguero goal – edge of the six-yard box and lashing it home on the angle. He did it to Spurs, Liverpool, the lot. If anyone was born to score goals, it was him.”
LF: Carlos Tevez
“You’ll do well to get the ball off him because of his mentality. Carlos was a nightmare to play against. I’ll put myself on the bench to offer some cover at the back, and maybe even have a cheeky go upfront if we’re desperate for a goal...”
Manager: Glenn Hoddle
“The way he explained the game was different to any other coach I played for. I was 21 when he was my Wolves manager; I didn’t appreciate just how much he was helping me at the time.”
Substitutes
Patrick Vieira
Louis Saha
Joleon Lescott
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Andrew Murray is a freelance journalist, who regularly contributes to both the FourFourTwo magazine and website. Formerly a senior staff writer at FFT and a fluent Spanish speaker, he has interviewed major names such as Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sergio Aguero and Xavi. He was also named PPA New Consumer Journalist of the Year 2015.
