Jamie Vardy says Arsenal have one of the toughest players he’s ever played against

Annoyingly, Jamie Vardy loved playing against Arsenal.

The former Leicester City striker has scored 11 goals in 18 appearances against Arsenal.

Only Harry Kane and Wayne Rooney have scored more Premier League goals against the Gunners.

Vardy is currently a free agent after departing Italian side Cremonese following their relegation.

But over the course of his career, he has played against a number of top defenders.

And speaking on his official TikTok account, he has singled out one current Arsenal defender as one of the best he has ever faced.

Jamie Vardy says William Saliba is one of the best defenders he faced

Vardy was asked to name the three toughest defenders he has ever come up against.

He named Vincent Kompany, Chris Smalling (?), and Arsenal’s William Saliba.

“All of them, literally, so physical, big, positioning-wise perfect, and if you did manage to get past them there was no nonsense — you were fully getting wiped out,” Vardy said.

Saliba is quietly becoming one of the best Premier League defenders we have ever seen, at least on ability.

His inclusion in this year’s PFA Team of the Year was his fourth consecutive appearance at the ceremony. He has been included every season since he made his Premier League debut.

Alongside Gabriel Magalhaes and David Raya, Saliba has helped form the best defensive unit in European football.

He may well be the best centre-back in the world right now.

Of course, he is currently out injured with a significant back problem. Ezri Konsa was signed specifically to provide reliable cover during his absence.

But when he returns, Arsenal’s defence goes back to being the most formidable in the game.