Arsenal and France legend Patrick Viera has heaped praise on Rangers after his Nice side were beaten by Steven Gerrard’s team in the Veolia Trophy in Lyon.
The iconic Gunners midfielder came up against Steven Gerrard in the middle of the park during his Liverpool days and the two were spotted sharing a smile before the game kicked off.
But whilst Rangers dumped Nice 2-0 in another comfortable victory which secured the trophy, Viera stopped short of choosing between either Old Firm side after Celtic drew 1-1 with Nice last week.
“It’s difficult to compare Rangers and Celtic because the second game after just one day’s rest was more difficult physically,” said Vieira [Daily Record].
“But both teams showed real quality and individual talent. I expect both of them to do very well in Europe.
“Rangers have real intensity in their game. That’s the British side of them.
“They can play from the back and try to build from their own half – or they can play long.
“They always have winners on the second ball and they have individual players with quality, who can eliminate you quite easily.
“They have some really interesting talent in that team.
“It brought back memories for me going up against Stevie again. I was really happy because he was one of the best players around.
“To see him as a coach, using his experience and what he’s learned – that has to be positive for Rangers and his players.
“On Saturday, we faced a team that was faster than us, in Rangers. We knew that, their physical quality was better than ours and they’re very athletic.
“It was interesting for me to see where my team is physically against them.”
Vieira, 44, was the captain of the legendary Arsenal Invincibles and is an iconic figure in British and European football.
It’s high praise indeed from an individual long-considered one of the best midfielders to have ever played the game.
Vieira – who also turned out for Juventus, Inter Milan and Manchester City in a distinguished career – earned 107 caps for France, scoring six times.
The powerful defensive midfielder was also part of the squad which won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and Vieira took over at Nice in June 2018, around the same time Gerrard took over at Rangers.
