Rio Ferdinand named Chelsea number one Edouard Mendy as one of the modern goalkeepers he would love to have played alongside.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, the former Manchester United defender put Mendy amongst the most desirable shot-stoppers to protect.
Not that the Senegal international needs much protection.
Magic Mendy
Whenever Chelsea’s fortress has been broken – which is becoming a far too frequent occurrence – the gloved knight is generally on hand to deal with the danger.
He demonstrated such skills against Liverpool last weekend.
Although his castle was breached twice, the ‘keeper ensured the Blues stayed in the tie thanks to a string of superb second-half saves.
Mohammad Salah and Sadio Mane were both foiled by the mighty mitts of Mendy.
The Liverpool forwards are not the first, nor will they be the last, to see their efforts denied by the 29-year-old goalie.
“Mendy would be a ‘keeper, if I were to pick a ‘keeper to play behind me, he would be one of my top two, three picks in the world. Easy,” confessed Ferdinand.
Few ex-pros could argue with this statement.
Ballon d’Or snub
Since his £22m (BBC) move from Rennes to Stamford Bridge in 2020, there have been few better in Mendy’s position across the globe.
He kept nine clean sheets on route to Chelsea’s Champions League triumph last May, the joint-highest tally for a debutant in the competition.
This record rightly earned him the UEFA Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Unfortunately, other individual award makers did not share the same view.
Mendy was somehow overlooked for the main Ballon d’Or honour, with Gianluigi Donnarumma the only GK to make the list.
The Italian also beat the Senegalese to the Yashin Trophy and the Globe Soccer’s Goalkeeper of the Year prize.
Justice will hopefully be served in 2022, especially as Donnarumma is not even the first choice at Paris Saint-Germain.