Top 12 Maldini Quotes & Sayings

Paolo Maldini is neither a legend nor a world class player!

The toughest defenders I've faced are Alessandro Nesta, Paolo Maldini, Ivan Cordoba, Ciro Ferrara and Walter Samuel.

He will be England captain one day. Jack Wilshere is a real leader. I saw how he spoke with the referee and the other players [against Denmark]. It is difficult to find someone so young with such a big personality. I remember two defenders, Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, and one attacker, Raul, but for personality and confidence on the pitch he is the best young midfielder I have seen for his age.

The opponent I have most admired during my career is Paolo Maldini.

Maldini was a key figure in world football. I have always had great admiration for him as a player and as a human being. I faced him in many derbies - he was tough but always very loyal.

I will be the one lifting that trophy, not Paolo Maldini. Imagine me hoisting the trophy. It is an image I have in my mind and I want to make it a reality. We have world-class players and, believe me, they are in the mood to do it. The atmosphere around the club at the moment is just top-class.

Paolo Maldini never won, but he was the best defender in the world. Gianluigi Buffon never won; he was the best goalkeeper in the world for many years. But this is the story of the Ballon d'Or.

The best player I ever played against was Paolo Maldini. We [Arsenal] played against Milan in the European Supercup [in 1995]. Maldini marked me and I didn't even get a kick of the ball all game. He was just unbelievable.

Paolo Maldini and John Terry are two of the toughest men I have met on the field.

Paolo Maldini. He was tough, tough, every time we played against each other. And I played against him many times. He's a very good friend.

AC Milan would never have been the same club without Paolo Maldini or Franco Baresi and they certainly would have never had the same amount of success.

Paolo Maldini is someone I loved at AC Milan and looked up to as a player. I think he had so much about him. He had so much quality and he was a player I looked to growing up. Him and Tony Adams - another footballer who's won it all.