"An unbelievable defender" - Chelsea legend John Terry suggests ex-Manchester United star should be spoken of as one of the best due to his longevity

Former Chelsea centre-back John Terry has praised his ex-Manchester United counterpart Nemanja Vidic.

Both Terry and Vidic are among the greatest central defenders of the 21st century and were vital to their respective team's successes. A debate has constantly lingered over who out of the two was the better player, and it popped up once again during a Q&A on Terry's Instagram.

The former Blues skipper responded (as quoted by the Daily Star):

“Everyone will have different opinions, but Vidic was an unbelievable defender.”

Terry went on to praise Vidic's longevity and ability to play to the best of his abilities year after year. He concluded:

“I get asked this a lot and the big thing that allows you to be spoken of as one of the very best is longevity. Vidic done this year, after year, after year. Top guy as well.”

Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea's John Terry clashed horns several times

Manchester United signed Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow in January 2006, while John Terry joined Chelsea from Nottingham Forest in 2000. The Englishman had a clear headstart on the Serbian, but Vidic adapted brilliantly to the Premier League to become a top-class centre-back.

Terry went on to stay at Stamford Bridge until the summer of 2017, which is a massive indication of his own longevity at the top level. Interestingly, Vidic left Old Trafford in 2014 to join Inter Milan.

The two players clashed several times as Chelsea's ascendance threatened Manchester United's dominance. This led to several feisty clashes, with both defenders helping their team pick up plenty of silverware.

Overall, Terry played a mammoth 713 times across all competitions for the Blues, scoring an impressive 67 goals and laying out 29 assists. The 41-year-old picked up five Premier League titles, five FA Cups, and three Carabao Cups domestically. He also won the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League with the club.

Vidic, on the other hand, made exactly 300 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions, recording 21 goals and five assists. Despite spending less than half the time Terry spent with the Blues, he managed the same number of Premier League titles and Carabao Cups. The 40-year-old also added a Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup to his cabinet.