Who is the greatest football player of all time?
Since as long as we can remember, people have been debating this, and everyone from Lionel Messi to Johan Cruyff to Pele has had a different response.
Nevertheless, Kieran Trippier provided an other response while appearing on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel.
The Newcastle player was asked to name the first player that sprung to mind when discussing the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) during a word association game.
Trippier selected former Tottenham teammate Mousa Dembele as the greatest player he has ever seen, disregarding players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Greatest Dembele
Trippier mentioned the Belgian who cost £11 million to leave Spurs.
“Okay, Trippier asked, ‘The GOAT is the last one.'”
“I’m going to knock Dembele off.” You could certainly mention Messi or Ronaldo, but this guy was the greatest of all time when we were teammates at Tottenham. To be honest, it was terrifying what he could do with a football during practice and games. He’s always up there among the top players you’ve ever played with, in my opinion, said Trippier.
Exalted praise
From a player who has seen the best of the greatest in recent years, like Trippier, this is enormous praise.
Even though Trippier has played alongside some of the biggest names in football, including Harry Kane and Luis Suarez, Dembele still stands out as one of the finest, which is a testament to his skill.
The Belgian was undoubtedly a captivating player for Tottenham, and even though he didn’t receive the recognition he deserved at the time, everyone who shared the field with him at that time can attest to his incredible skill.