Polish football star Robert Lewandowski - a player known for his thunderous strikes - revealed some of his toughest opponents to the German media on Wednesday.
The 30-year-old has established himself as one of the greatest strikers in the modern game. His reputation was recently cemented when he entered the history books as the highest-scoring foreign player in German Bundesliga history, reports Xinhua news agency.
In a recent interview, the Bayern star acknowledged some of the opponents he has most admired on the pitch.
"In the Champions League, Sergio Ramos," Lewandowski told sports journal Kicker.
It's an unsurprising admission, as Ramos has served for many years as captain of both Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.
"He's a great centre-back, not just defensive, even with the ball," the Pole added.
In the same interview, "Lewa" admitted that as a young player, he studied the tactics of French star Thierry Henry, as well as those of Alessandro Del Piero.
As for challengers in the Bundesliga, Lewandowski had no hesitation in naming his clubmates Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels as stiff competitors.
"They were always a challenge and not easy to play against. Also the former Eintracht Frankfurt player Carlos Zambrano, a very aggressive centre-back," he said,
Lewandowski, a native of the Polish capital Warsaw, continues to attract unqualified admiration at home where he has become almost a cult figure. In his early years, he played for local clubs Znicz Pruszkow and Lech Poznan.
--IANS
kk/bg
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