SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS has named a shock Premier League cult hero as the most technically gifted player he has ever played with.
The former Manchester City and Chelsea winger spoke exclusively with SunSport about the Community Shield, his career and the importance of nutrition in modern football.
Shaun Wright-Phillips in action for Manchester CityAFP
It seemed that the script was written for his former club to win the Community Shield again when Cole Palmer‘s stunning strike opened the scoring for Man City.
But it was Arsenal – where Shaun’s Dad Ian is a legend – who came out on top after a late equaliser took the game to penalties.
Shaun felt as though the result was not a fair reflection of how the game played out, saying: “I would say no [it wasn’t a fair result], not really, throughout the ninety minutes neither team had that many clear cut chances.
“But, City dominated the game, controlled the football the way they always like to, I was a bit surprised Arsenal were not more aggressive.
“When Cole Palmer scores that brilliant goal and then Trossard comes on and gets a deflection, I think if there was an extra time then City could have pushed a few more gears.”
Shaun played for numerous clubs in the Premier League and alongside some exceptional players.
He can boast about playing with the likes of Frank Lampard, Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole, Robinho and so many more…
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Arsenal came out victorious against Manchester City on penaltiesGetty
But it was none of the above who took the crown as the most technically gifted man he had the pleasure of sharing a pitch with.
Instead he opted for a player touted as the ‘King of the streets’, a Moroccan magician who gave Championship defenders nightmares.
He said: “There was a lot of them that were technically gifted, but the one that really stands out was at the back end of my career, I would say Adel Taarabt.
“The way he manipulated the ball, manoeuvred with it, and always set himself up into positions to get a nutmeg or go past somebody, I thought he was phenomenal.”
Adel Taarabt is known as the street football king in English football and QPR cult heroNews Group Newspapers Ltd
It is not just his career as a player that is fascinating, as Shaun has gone on to achieve great things outside of football as a pundit.
And he recently embarked on a pre-season tour as an ambassador for City.
His son D’Margio has gone on to be a professional player, just like his Dad, and his daughter has recently gone viral for showing a huge amount of promise.
Meanwhile, Wright-Phillips also touched on the importance of nutrition in the modern game, and recently opened an M&S Foodhall inside Wembley Stadium.
The game is a bit different now from when he was playing…
And when asked about the change in diet, he said: “It’s a massive difference, at half-time we were given Jelly Babies and Wine Gums to give us an energy kick, it was good for us then.
“Chris Smalling has shown it, he has come out and said that his stats and levels go through the roof since he turned vegan, so I think the clean diet and the way to eat now for the younger generation coming through is a massive plus.”
Shaun Wright-Phillips open the new M&S Foodhalls at Wembley Stadium
Shaun Wright-Phillips was speaking at the opening of the new M&S Food store inside Wembley Stadium connected by EE. The store is part of M&S Food’s commitment through its Eat Well, Play Well partnership with the FA to make healthier eating more accessible for families through the power of football.