Jamie Redknapp enjoyed a 15-year footballing career spanning from 1990 to 2005, spending 10 of those seasons with Liverpool and three with Tottenham Hotspur before eventually retiring at Southampton.

Throughout his career, in which he made 374 total club appearances, scoring 47 goals, providing 33 assists, and winning four trophies - all with the Reds - the former midfielder shared the pitch with some of the finest talent of his generation, including Steven Gerrard, Steve McManaman and Claude Makelele.

But, when asked to name his personal five greatest ever football players of all time on Sky Sports' The Football Show, only one name on the list was someone who played in his era. The remaining choices included World Cup winners, alongside two modern icons who have arguably left an enormous mark on the sport.

Redknapp Named Zidane Among His Favourites

Coming in at fifth on Redknapp's list of his top five greatest players of all time is Zinedine Zidane. The Frenchman enjoyed an exceptional career, most notably representing Juventus and Real Madrid at club level, where he collected a combined 11 trophies, including the Champions League. He found the back of the net 125 times and assisted 142 more from midfield in 689 club appearances. Redknapp was particularly struck by how technically gifted Zidane was, especially given his unusually large feet.

Zidane, who I played against, was just an artist. He was so talented, so easy on the eye. He was a big guy, and the thing that really struck me was how big his feet were, and I was looking at him like, how can you control the ball so beautifully with feet that big? But everywhere you went, he'd just move it [the ball] away from you and just glided onto the pitch.

In at fourth and third are Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi - with the Argentine slightly favoured - both of whom continue to ply their trades around the world and score goals at remarkable rates, just as they have throughout their careers. These modern greats have already cemented their status among the finest players ever, winning virtually every major trophy available between them. When examining the footballing records, it is increasingly common to find one of their names at or near the very top.

Messi, Ronaldo - what can you say? There's nothing you can say. There are no more superlatives you can talk about those guys. They are absolutely wonderful footballers. But the question mark will always be, when in that era when you could intimidate, when you could kick people, when the pitches weren't as good, it was a totally different game.

For Redknapp, deciding who should take second place between the two Argentine superstars Messi and Diego Maradona was a far tougher call. However, he ultimately opted for the late legend because of the different conditions in which the game was played during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as Maradona's huge influence at both club and international level while revolutionising the game. With Argentina, he led them to World Cup victory in 1986 virtually by himself, scoring five of his 34 international goals in that tournament, and assisting five more.

I've gone with Maradona over Messi. My vision of Maradona playing growing up, when I fell in love with football, was him not just evading tackles but hurdling tackles with people trying to hurt him. What he did in 1986 with that Argentine team, he made them win the World Cup, pretty much single-handedly. He went to Napoli and hadn't won the league before, but they won it twice with him, and he took that team to another level.

Pele Trumps Everyone As Redknapp's No. 1 Pick

But for Redknapp, there was ultimately nobody greater than the Brazilian legend himself, Pele, who dominated football from his teenage years and helped Brazil claim three World Cup trophies. The former Premier League midfielder also believes that Pele was the player who truly 'transcended' the beautiful game as it is known today, having recorded 77 goals in just 92 appearances for his country.

It has to be Pele. He's the only man to win three World Cups. As a 17-year-old in 1958, he scored one in the quarter-finals, a hat-trick in the semi-final and two in the final. For me, he transcended football. People talk about a lot of his goals were scored in exhibition games, but that, for me, sets him apart - World Cups. I've read books on him. When you talk to the Brazilians, he was the man. He is the most outstanding footballer for me... just an absolute superstar in every way.