Alex Ferguson relies on an old cliche to answer the Ronaldo v Messi debate

Every once in a while, two once-in-a-generation players pop up in the same generation.

American football had it with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady over the past decade, while in rugby things were a little less fair as Richie McCaw and Dan Carter found themselves playing for the same team. In football, the debate of who to pick between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will never truly be solved. Each year we think that one of them has put the discussion to rest, the other pops right back up starts the conversation all over again. For all his unquestionable talents, Lionel Messi's legacy will always - fairly or not - carry the disclaimer on these shores that he never did it in the Premier League. Ronaldo, on the other hand, has proven that he is able to do it on the proverbial wet and windy night at Stoke, and it's this adaptability which sets him apart from Messi, according to his former manager Alex Ferguson. Speaking at an event in Dublin, the former Manchester United manager said: "When the ball is at Messi's feet it is like he is wearing slippers. But there is a difference between Messi and Ronaldo and I'll tell you what it is.

"I think Messi is a Barcelona player but Ronaldo could be playing for Stockport County and he would score a hat-trick. He is brilliant in the air and he has two feet."

While it's not quite the Stoke cliche, it's pretty damn close. Even if he does have a point.