Rio Ferdinand knows a thing or two about what it takes to be one of the greatest players in your position in the Premier League. The former Manchester United defender was one of the leading centre-backs in English football for over a decade and enjoyed considerable success, both individually and collectively, during his time at Old Trafford.

After retiring in 2015, the 46-year-old concluded his career with six league titles and was named in the PFA Team of the Year on six occasions, with his first selection coming in the 2001-02 season and his last in the 2012-13 campaign. As such, Ferdinand is well-positioned to recognise greatness, having possessed that level of talent himself.

Having played alongside and against some of the best the division has ever seen, the former defender was asked to name his greatest all-time Premier League XI by the Daily Mail and did just that.

Goalkeeper and Defenders

Edwin van der Sar, Kyle Walker, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra

Starting with the back five, Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville may find himself being hard done by as he is the only member of United's stalwart defence from the mid to late 2000s not to get a look in from Ferdinand. In between the sticks is Edwin van der Sar, who remains a criminally underrated goalkeeper when talking about the very best in Premier League history. His longevity is not something to be scoffed at, and he constantly defied his age during his latter years at United.

At right-back sits Kyle Walker, who appears to be slowing down now but maintains his legacy thanks to his brilliant work at Manchester City. Ferdinand opted to name himself and teammate Nemanja Vidic at the heart of the defence. The duo did make up one of the most formidable partnerships in the game, but this has meant that the likes of John Terry and Virgil van Dijk have been overlooked. Meanwhile, Patrice Evra trumps Ashley Cole at left-back.

Midfielders

Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira, Ryan Giggs

On the right-hand side is a name that some may have expected to see further up the pitch, but when Cristiano Ronaldo first broke into the Manchester United team as a teenager, he was the de facto replacement for David Beckham on the flank before transitioning into a Ballon d'Or-winning goalscoring machine.

Paul Scholes gets the nod over Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, who is usually irreplaceable, as Ferdinand ends that debate by playing the deep-lying playmaker alongside Patrick Vieira, who would often provide a nice balance and contrast with his physical presence. Finishing things off in the middle of the park is the Premier League's most successful ever player in the form of Ryan Giggs. The Welsh wizard won a staggering 13 league titles between 1992-2013 and was able to reinvent his game on numerous occasions when it was called for.

Attackers

Thierry Henry, Wayne Rooney