da wazamba： As a beaming Ruud van Nistelrooy walked up to me, hand held out, I wondered whether this was the same no nonsense Dutchman I’d watched dismantle Premier League defences as a 12-year-old.
da betsson： The same man who split opinion with a spiky on-field presence and unflinching honesty. The same man so hated by Gooners but beloved by Manchester United fans the world over.
But speaking to that very same man who scored 150 goals in just 219 games for Sir Alex Ferguson’s United side and boasts the fourth-highest goal scoring record in Champions League history, you soon realise his off-field persona played a big part in his on-field success.
We met in Mexico City, to watch the Champions League Semi Final second leg between Real Madrid and Juventus courtesy of Heineken, where the 38-year-old told me all about his perfect strike partner, his relationship with Fergie and the hardest opponent he’s ever faced…
FFC: Messi/Suarez/Neymar or Benzema/Bale/Ronaldo?
RvN: “I don’t think it’s necessary to compare the standard of players. I respect them all too much to say something about the other because that means somebody is better.
“It’s not like that, it’s just a joy for football, but I think at the moment, Suarez, Messi and Neymar are functioning at their best.
“Benzema was out for a while, Bale is not in top shape, but last year they were unstoppable together so it goes in phases.
“But at the moment, I think the Barcelona attack is the best there is.”
FFC: Do you think Manchester United made a big mistake by letting Paul Pogba go?
RvN: “I don’t know, afterwards it’s easy to say yes. If United could have seen the player he has become today, then they wouldn’t have let him go.
“But at the time that he left, he was very young. You have to make decisions as a club and sometimes it goes your way and sometimes it goes the other way.
“They will say now that they should have never let him go, but that leaves the question of development. Would he have had the same development if he had stayed?”
FFC: Who is the toughest defender you ever faced and why?
RvN: “I’ve played against many great defenders.
“I remember going against Milan when they had the back four of Cafu, Stam, Nesta and Maldini with Dida in goal. That was probably the strongest back five I ever played against.”
FFC: If you could pick your perfect strike partner from all of the players you’ve played with in your career, who would it be and why?
Ruud Van Nistelrooy: “I have formed some very good partnerships throughout my career.
“Raul at Madrid was a very good partnership. We really were complimentary.
“There was also Luc Nilis from PSV. That one goes back a long time.
“At United with Scholes, he kind of played off me at the time. It was great to play with a player like that.”
FFC: What is your relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson like these days? Have you repaired your relationship? It obviously didn’t end on the best terms…
RvN: “It’s good. I was back at Old Trafford for the unveiling of his statue, so that means we are on speaking terms.
“I wanted to be there and I respected the invitation. I think that’s the relationship we’re in and that’s good.
“Of course, we left with problems, but I think over the years we have formed a good relationship.”
FFC: The infamous Fergie hairdryer… Can you describe it in three words?
RvN: Close. Direct. Honest.
Roberto Carlos will be taking over the reins for the Champions League Final so tweet your questions to @Heineken using the #ChampionTheMatch hashtag and grill this Brazilian legend!