VIDEO: Cristiano Ronaldo mysteriously snubbed as ex-Man Utd team-mate names favourite players of all time

The ex-goalkeeper was asked by GOAL to rank his top-five players to watch of all time, but the Portuguese superstar was conspicuously absent from the list. Van der Sar had Zinedine Zidane at number five, United legend Ryan Giggs at four, Ronaldo's eternal rival Lionel Messi third, Diego Maradona second and legendary countryman Johan Cruyff as number one.

Overlooking Ronaldo is particularly surprising given that the stopper shared the pitch with the legendary attacker on 167 occasions, winning a Premier League and Champions League double as team-mates in 2007-08 having also secured the league title the previous season.

Van der Sar, now 54, was speaking before winning the Soccer Aid charity match with the World XI. Ronaldo, meanwhile, is expected to renew his contract at Al-Nassr to put uncertainty around his future to bed as he plays on into his 40s.