Arsenal legends brought me down to earth but John Terry was the best I played against

Peter Crouch has named John Terry the best defender he has faced in his 21-year career.

The 43-year-old has had an extensive career in the top flight, playing for a list of clubs including Liverpool, Tottenham, Aston Villa, portsmouth and Primeand faced some of the best defenders the Premier League has ever seen.

But the best among those he has faced include a couple of Arsenal legends: Tony Adams and Sol Campbell.

Many rank them as the pair of the best defenders in Premier League history, but Crouch went on to say Chelsea legend Terry tops his list of toughest opponents.

Crouch was speaking on talkSPORT's Hawksbee & Jacobs Show when he was asked who his toughest opponents were.

The former striker responded: “I always remember Tony Adams teaching me in one of my first games.

“I was at QPR. It was a cup game, it wasn't the Premier League. I remember Tony Adams and I think it would have been Steve Bould, maybe.

“I thought I was a Premier League player when I was 18, but I was playing in the Championship and I thought, 'Yeah, I'm scoring goals at this level, I'll get to Premier League level without worries.'

“Then I faced Tony Adams and that view changed very quickly. What a defender he was.

“I think over the years Sol Campbell gave me a great test because he is very strong physically.

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“But I think John Terry was probably the best of the bunch.”

Terry and Crouch had fought excellent battles over the years, including their Champions League fights.

In 2007, Chelsea and Liverpool fought a close battle in which the Reds advanced to the semi-finals after winning on penalties. The two teams also met in the group stages of the competition in the 2005/06 campaign, Crouch's first season at Anfield.

Crouch was tasked with manhandling Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, but was unable to faze them, hitting blanks on both legs.

Meanwhile, Adams and Campbell are Arsenal legends in their own right with the former spending his entire career at Highbury.

In total, Adams made 672 appearances for the Gunners, while Campbell made 211 appearances across two spells, winning six league titles between them.

While Terry might have surpassed him, the 6ft 7in striker went on to forge a fine career in the Premier League.

He scored 108 goals in 468 appearances, joining a prestigious list of players who have scored more than 100 goals in the Premier League.