"I've played against England twice, and it was [Sol] Campbell and [Tony] Adams. They didn't impress me. This performance by Ferdinand was really great.
"I didn't expect that much but he was very cool, very good. Especially after the stories surrounding him. I've played against Nesta and Maldini for Italy and Köhler and Sammer for Germany, but Ferdinand is up there. Every touch was perfect. He knew what he was doing."