West Ham United midfielder Tomáš Souček names his World XI, made up of players he’s lined up with or against during his career, or idolised as a youngster…
GK - Marc-André ter Stegen
I like goalkeepers who play just behind the defenders, who are good with their feet. I played against him twice in the UEFA Champions League, when I was at Slavia Prague, and I remember he kept a clean sheet against us and was very impressive. He’s also very tall so he’s good at coming out for crosses.
RB - Kyle Walker
He’s incredibly fast, but he’s also a quality defender who can deal with pretty much any winger or attacker. He’s great on the ball, he’s got a lot of assists over the years and he’s been a really important player for Manchester City for a long time.
CB - Thiago Silva
He’s very experienced, and a very good player. I used to like him when he was at Paris Saint-Germain, and then he moved to Chelsea and did really well too. He’s calm on the ball, and a top leader. He’s nearly 40 and still playing, which is incredible.
CB - Virgil van Dijk
For me, he’s been the best defender in the Premier League for the last ten years. His attitude and leadership are amazing, and I think he’s one of the main reasons Liverpool have been so good in recent years. He also chips in with some really important goals.
LB - João Cancelo
At his best he is a top, top player. I played against him when he was at Manchester City, and also when we [Czech Republic] played Portugal, when he scored a goal. When he’s at his maximum, for me he’s the best at left-back.
CM - Declan Rice / Rodri
I can’t choose between the two of them! I played with Declan for three years, and it was amazing. Now he’s at Arsenal doing an amazing job. It was funny to line up against him last season, but I wish him all the best. Rodri has shown his class for many seasons now. He’s so important to Manchester City, and it does seem to affect them if he’s not available.
CM - Kevin De Bruyne
I think he’s one of the best midfielders I’ve come up against, because he’s got so much quality, particularly in an attacking sense. I think he’d be my first choice in midfield.
CM - Marco Reus
I admire his commitment to Borussia Dortmund, and he’s shown good quality and leadership for a very long time. The fact he is a team player would be important to my team, and he would be up for any fight that comes our way.
RW - Lionel Messi
He’s the best player of all time, in my opinion, because of what he’s achieved and how important he’s been to Barcelona and Argentina throughout his career. I played against him, and it was nearly impossible to try and defend against him.
CF - Erling Haaland
It was amazing how he came to the Premier League and immediately showed his quality. I can’t not pick him after the amount of goals he has scored in his first two seasons over here, particularly with Kevin De Bruyne in my team as well!
LW - Cristiano Ronaldo
He’s been one of the best players in the world for 15-20 years now, and it’s nice to be able to say I’ve played against him a few times in my career. He deserves huge credit for how much he’s achieved with a number of different clubs, as well as Portugal.
