Ex-Man Utd star Rio Ferdinand names FIVE Liverpool players to their EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year

Rio Ferdinand named Liverpool five stars in their EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year – but there was no Manchester United player and no place for Lionel Messi either.

The former USA and England ace went for a 4-3-3 system, which he believes is ‘solid at the back’ and ‘would score goals’ up front .

Despite his intense rivalry with Liverpool during his 12 years at United, the majority of Ferdinand’s squad are made up of players from the Premier League champions.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (L) and Sadio Mane (R) were two of five Liverpool players named to Rio Ferdinand’s EA Sports FIFA Team of the Year

Lionel Messi (L) and Bruno Fernandes (R) were two notable omissions from his best XI

Alisson was the first of five Liverpool players selected, with Ferdinand picking him between the sticks for his ‘consistency’.

He was joined by team-mates Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk in defense, while Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos and much-loved Bayern Munich half-winger Alphonso Davies completed the last four.

Ferdinand described his defense, which consisted of players who won the Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga and Champions League last year, as full of “ pace, character, personality, strength and charisma ”.

Ferdinand chose Liverpool’s Alisson as his goalkeeper and called him ‘Mr. Consistency’

Sergio Ramos, who led Real Madrid to La Liga in 2020, has been chosen to play alongside Virgil van Dijk

Pitch Camp: this is how Ferdinand’s FIFA XI dream would align

In the middle of the park, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne was Ferdinand’s first choice, with the ex-United calling the Belgian star ‘the best midfielder in the Premier League’.

Beside him were Liverpool’s Thiago and Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich, who were preferred over United’s driving force Fernandes.

The Portuguese midfielder has been in mind-blowing form since joining United on a £ 68million contract last January, but Ferdinand has chosen to leave him out.

There were obvious choices up front with goal machine Robert Lewandowski – who won UEFA’s Player of the Year and FIFA’s Best Player for 2020 – chosen to lead the line for his eleven star.

Ferdinand said Kevin De Bruyne was in his XI because he was ‘the best midfielder in the Premier League’

Thiago, who played for Bayern last year before joining Liverpool, has also been appointed midfielder

It would have been a crime if Ferdinand had left with someone else at the top, given that no player in Europe’s top leagues has scored more than Lewndowski in 2020 (40).

On the left wing was Cristiano Ronaldo, who still defies his age by continuing to score at a ridiculous rate even at 35 with 19 goals in 17 games so far this season and now an astonishing 759 in his career – the highest record in history.

There was surprisingly no room for Barcelona legend Messi as Ferdinand had previously said he should be considered a bigger talent than Ronaldo due to his all-around game.

Messi endured a tough campaign last season as Barcelona failed to win silverware but found success on a personal level, still managing to post impressive numbers in the score and assist columns, even if that wasn’t enough to convince Ferdinand to include it.

Liverpool striker Sadio Mane was picked to play in the forward-right position to complete Ferdinand’s dream XI, meaning no player from his former club has made the cut despite his inspired form in recent months, which has put them on the verge of gaining the upper hand. Premier League table.

Robert Lewandowski and Joshua Kimmich were joined by teammate Alphonso Davies in the XI

Cristiano Ronaldo had another amazing year in front of goal and won the left wing spot