Ronaldo Nazario snubs Zinedine Zidane when naming his best ever teammate

One of football's greatest ever players has snubbed a fellow Real Madrid icon when asked to name the best teammate of his legendary career.

Ronaldo Nazario and Zinedine Zidane are both considered among the top handful of footballers of all time but the Brazilian doesn't view Zidane as his best teammate despite being a World Cup winner, a European champion for club and country, and a three-time World Player of the Year.

They played together for Real Madrid between 2001 and 2006 but Ronaldo's nomination isn't from his time at the Bernabeu or at Barcelona, but in the Dutch Eredivisie with PSV.

Ronaldo followed in the footsteps of Romario to join PSV from Cruzeiro in 1994. There, he linked up with Luc Nilis. The Belgian striker was also a new signing in Eindhoven and remained there until 2000 when a move to Aston Villa started with one of the best goals of his career but came crashing down when a horrific injury against Ipswich Town in September ended his career.

Nilis and Ronaldo only won one KNVB Cup together but O Fenomeno's high regard for his former teammate reflects how respected he was during his career.

Ronaldo Nazario played with Zinedine Zidane but doesn't consider the Frenchman his best team-mate. (Image: Getty)

"I played with people like Figo, Romario, Zidane, Rivaldo, Djorkaeff and Raul, but nobody was like him," said Ronaldo of Nilis in an interview with Sport TV. "He was simply fantastic, certainly the best teammate I've ever had."

Nilis went on to win the Dutch championship with PSV after Bobby Robson took Ronaldo to Barcelona for a world record fee in 1996. He formed a lethal partnership with Ruud van Nistelrooy before departing for the Premier League just weeks before a double compound fracture of his shin prevented him from playing again.

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Nilis has remained in football, taking on a number of coaching roles and a handful of assistant manager positions, including PSV. He's also a cult figure at Villa Park, where the sense of what might have been was keenly felt by supporters.

Zidane has already been overlooked this month by compatriot Thierry Henry, who nominated Dennis Bergkamp as his best ever teammate.