Gary O’Neil reveals career-best six-a-side team - with all six players former Portsmouth team-mates!

The former Blues favourite has enjoyed a fine career clocking up 539 appearances, with many of those coming at the highest level in stints with the likes of Middlesbrough, West Ham and Norwich.

But it’s his seven years at senior level at Fratton Park which allowed O’Neil to perform with the greatest players of his career.

And, now, in an interview with talkSPORT, the 36-year-old underlines just how much of an impact the club he’s arguably most associated with had on him - with all of his career-best six-a-side team former Fratton team-mates.

O’Neil, in his own words, explains the reasoning for the selection of his super six.

David James

On his day he was fantastic. We used to do this drill where we’d line up on the edge of the box and if we scored he’d do 10 press-ups and if he saved it or you missed the target he’d do 10 press-ups. You would literally never beat him.

Sylvain Distin

He was an amazing athlete, even if he was getting towards the end of his career at Portsmouth. He was still in fantastic shape and went on at the top level for a long time. He was a fantastic fella, too.

Sol Campbell

Sol’s best years were probably behind him but he was still absolutely awesome in training. If you had a one-on-one with Sol Campbell there was no way you were coming out on top.

Paul Merson

He was a fantastic talent. He was very, very one footed but he could use both sides of it. He could see things other players couldn’t see. That year we got promoted at Portsmouth he absolutely ran the show. We all worked out socks off to get Merse the ball.

Robert Prosinecki

He was getting on as well, but he was the best player I’ve trained with. He looked like an old man and was a midfielder - and I thought there was no way he was going to take my place, he can’t even run! He couldn’t run - but you couldn’t get the ball off him! He would run training every day. He would score ridiculous free-kicks and drop his shoulder. Anyone who’s played for Barcelona and Real Madrid shows the level he performed at.

Teddy Sheringham

He was similar to Paul Merson. Paul came the year we got promoted and Teddy came the following year in the Premier League. He was our talisman. He wasn’t physically the best which I admired because I was never blessed with pace, strength or power. Teddy was one-paced but he was super intelligent and had a picture. He always knew what was going on. His finishing was something else. If there was a two-foot circle for him to stick it in, you fancied him to stick it in there.

If I had to pick a manager it would be my good friend Harry Redknapp. He was fantastic to me at Portsmouth.