Arsenal legend Thierry Henry snubbed several Barcelona legends - and an Arsenal icon - when naming the biggest hardman he played alongside during his time in Spain.
Henry is ranked at number eight in the list of all-time Premier League goalscorers, with 175 goals in his 258 games for the Gunners.
His goals per game ratio of 0.68 is the highest of any of the top 30 scorers, and he helped Arsenal to win three Premier League titles between 1998 and 2004.
Advert
In those years, the Arsenal team was known for their much more physical tactics than what we see from most sides in the modern game, with Arsene Wenger repeatedly having to defend claims surrounding his side's 'dirtiness'.
But the Gunners' success was formed by their rock-solid defence and central midfield, with talent on both wings and firepower in attack from the likes of Henry, Nicolas Anelka and Dennis Bergkamp.
Vieira was signed by Wenger in 1996 from AC Milan and spent nine years in north London, forming a legendary rivalry against Manchester United captain Roy Keane in the centre of midfield.
The Frenchman picked up 82 yellow cards during his Gunners career - a tally bettered by only 13 players in Premier League history.
Advert
But after moving to Barcelona, Henry named a player that could have rivalled Vieira in the hardman stakes.
The accolade went to his international team-mate Lilian Thuram, who picked up 142 caps for France between 1994 and 2008.
He played for Monaco, Parma and Juventus during his domestic career, and briefly reunited at Barcelona - whom Henry signed for in 2007 - with the Arsenal legend during his two-year spell at Camp Nou between 2006 and 2008.
Advert
In a segment on Soccer AM about his team-mates, Henry specifically named Thuram as the biggest hardman at Barcelona: "That's his game really. He's a defender through and through, and that's what he does."
He did, though, also name Thuram as the 'biggest moaner' in the Barca dressing room, explaining: "It's good, it's good for the spirit and everything, but he is the biggest moaner for sure."
Henry's other team-mates at the time included Carles Puyol, Rafael Marquez and Yaya Toure, while ex-Arsenal left-back Sylvinho was also among their ranks.
Sylvinho became the first Brazilian to sign for Arsenal in 1999 and spent two seasons there, being selected in the PFA Team of the Year in his final season before leaving for Celta Vigo.
Topics: Thierry Henry, Arsenal, Barcelona
Ryan Smart