Few are better qualified to speak about holding midfielders than the World Cup winner.

Patrick Vieira has claimed Manchester City star Rodri is the best holding midfielder in world football.

It’s a position the former Arsenal, Juventus and City star knows well and Vieira was considered one of the best at shielding a back four during his playing days. The Frenchman captained Arsene Wenger’s famous ‘Invincibles’ in 2004 and was named in the Premier League’s PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive seasons.

He also won the league three times, picked up five Serie A winner’s medals and played a pivotal role in France’s 1998 World Cup-winning side. So it’s fair to say few are better qualified to speak about the role of a holding midfielder, and Vieira believes City have the best in the business.

“He [Rodri] is my favourite player,” the 47-year-old told City’s club website. “He is strong. He is clever. He is smart. He is a team player. He is all about the team – he sacrifices himself for the team.

“Technically I love watching him play. I always use him as a reference for the young players that I have in Strasbourg,” added Viera, who took over the Ligue 1 side after being sacked by Crystal Palace last year.

“As a holding midfielder, he’s doing everything right. I like his humility. I like his work ethic. I like his simplicity. For me he is the best holding midfielder in the world at the moment.

“The game we have today, the highlights always go to the players who score the goals and who make the assists. But the guys who make the tackles and who do the pass before the decisive pass? The manager knows how important this is and how important this position is.”