Former Chelsea star Gus Poyet names Manchester United legend as the best midfielder he's played against in the Premier League

Former Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet has named Manchester United legend Paul Scholes as the best midfielder he faced in the Premier League during his career.

He made this known in a recent interview ahead of the Blues' crunch London derby against rivals Tottenham Hotspur away on February 26.

Poyet was privileged to have played for both Premier League clubs during his footballing career, which spanned well over 19 years, between 1998-2006.

The Uruguayan spent a total of four years at Chelsea, making well up to 145 appearances for the Blues while scoring 49 goals. He then secured a £2.2 million move to rivals Tottenham in 2001 and spent three years at the north London club.

Reflecting on his time as a footballer, Poyet was quick to name Scholes as the best player he faced in the Premier League. He also stated that the Manchester United legend was technically gifted as a player.

He said (via Betting Sites):

“In terms of quality, I think the best midfielder that I played against was Paul Scholes. He had everything; he was technically gifted, he could run around the pitch, he could be nasty, he was commanding and he had everything. He was the best in terms of quality because he was the best English midfield player."

Poyet went further to name another Manchester United legend, Roy Keane, as the toughest player he faced in the Premier League. He, however, did state that Scholes was the overall best midfielder he played against.

He said:

“Now if you ask me who was the toughest, my first thought was Roy Keane because it was difficult to play against him."

He continued:

“There is a different answer depending on the question! If you ask the best midfielder, I think Paul Scholes and the most difficult to play against was Roy Keane because he was tough and you needed to prepare yourself mentally for the battle. That was a special game when you play against Man United as a Chelsea player.”

Scholes made 714 appearances for Manchester United in his legendary career, contributing 153 goals and 74 assists.

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Gus Poyet wants Chelsea to back under-fire manager Graham Potter

The Uruguayan has given his voice to the current situation at his former club Chelsea, amid concerns surrounding the future of Graham Potter.

The Blues head coach has come under heavy criticism in recent weeks following poor results for Chelsea.

Meanwhile, Poyet has come out to state that the club should back the English tactician. He said:

“First of all I want Graham to stay. I promise you, I really want him to stay and be a success. I think when you are in the position he was in at Brighton, it was the perfect time for him to go to another level. Now, he must take advantage of that."

He continued by pointing out Mikel Arteta's case at Arsenal and how he was backed by the Gunners during his early days at the Emirates. He said:

“There is an example, and I don’t think it is too dramatic, when they didn’t win many matches and Arsenal and Mikel Arteta were in a very bad moment. They stuck with him, and now we are seeing the consequences as they are at the top of the league.”

Chelsea are 10th in the Premier League table, 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham with a game in hand.