Rio Ferdinand praises Karim Benzema for Cristiano Ronaldo role despite "knowing inside"

In pictures: Man City v Atletico

What’s gone wrong with Mercedes and can they recover?

Tiger Woods confirms he plans to play at the Masters this week

Gilbert Burns predicts Khamzat Chimaev fight

Jurgen Klopp insists Liverpool ‘should have scored more’ in win over Benfica

Trans conversion therapy: PM says gender issues are 'novel'

Jake Paul talks Conor McGregor, Tommy Fury and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

Floyd Mayweather parties with Kanye West and Antonio Brown

Masters 2022 What To Expect

Erik ten Hag in profile as Man Utd 'open talks' with Ajax boss

Ronaldinho's Ultimate XI: Who's played the most with the Brazilian?

In pictures: Benfica v Liverpool

Fury faces off with himself after Whyte now show at press conference

Former England defender Rio Ferdinand has praised Karim Benzema for being prepared to take a back seat to Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid despite "knowing inside he’s the top man".

French international Benzema joined Real Madrid at the same time as Ronaldo, back in the summer of 2009. The pair spent nine seasons as teammates before Ronaldo moved to Juventus and then back to Manchester United, and has stepped up in the absence of his former colleague.

Benzema is the top scorer in La Liga, and helped his club reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a sensational hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain. And, on a night when the former Lyon man kept the goals coming against Chelsea, Ferdinand only had positive things to say about him.

"The fact he played as understudy to Cristiano Ronaldo shows a huge amount of humility," Ferdinand said on BT Sport. "To be able to do that, knowing inside he’s the top man, he’s at the table, he can score goals but is willing to take a step back for the betterment of