Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand believes that English clubs have failed in the Champions League because they lack world class players.
Ferdinand played in three Champions League finals, winning one in 2008.
English clubs have not been impressive in the Champions League in recent years and only Manchester City progressed to the quarter-finals this season.
City will become just the fourth English side to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League since 2012 on Tuesday.
Ferdinand thinks departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale has left Premier League teams without world class players to challenge in the Premier League.
“In those days we had teams that were conditioned to go into tournaments and go deep into tournaments,” Ferdinand on BT Sport ahead of Manchester City’s clash with Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday, March 15.
“[The] mentality was about just getting through the first period of the tournaments and taking each game as it comes.
play Luis Suarez left the Premier League to play for Barcelona (Omnisports)
“[In the Champions League] there’s a consistency among these teams within the leagues they play in, they can go 20 games on a winning streak drawing a couple and maybe losing one.
“I think back then the best players in the world, there were some in this country. At the moment there aren’t any.”
Ferdinand also singled out City striker Sergio Aguero as the only world class player in the Premier League.
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