It takes something special to lift the Champions League. Rio Ferdinand knows this more than most.
Having captained Leeds to an incredible semi-final run in 2001 at the age of just 22, he reached the final three times as a Manchester United player, but lifted the trophy just once in 2008.
Europe’s elite competition returns this week with four English sides looking to get their hands on the humongous handles.
Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham all have the same goal in mind.
Here, 39-year-old Ferdinand has his say on the credentials of England’s four hopefuls.
Rio Ferdinand spoke to Sportsmail to discuss how England’s big four might fare in Europe
MANCHESTER CITY — Group F alongside Hoffenheim, Lyon and Shakhtar Donetsk
‘Anything less than a semi-final is poor for them. Even if they go out at the semi-final, people will be expecting more.
‘That is what Pep Guardiola creates at a football club. At Bayern Munich he was the same. They p****d the league and get to the Champions League semi-finals and all of a sudden they’re a failure.
‘He seems to be building that type of expectation at this club and rightly so. They have got the best team in the land. The best team to watch, the best team on paper, the best team in the table. They are going to go close this year.
‘Liverpool showed the way to beat them in the Champions League but I don’t see many teams being able to do that. I still think City will go further than the other English club this year.’
Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola has already won the Champions League twice as a manager
LIVERPOOL — Group C alongside Red Star Belgrade, Napoli and PSG
‘It is a hard group but Liverpool are going to be a force.
‘When they are playing the way Jurgen Klopp has got them playing, they are a hard team to play. It seems that the style of football they play is suited to European football.
‘I don’t think they had depth last year. You look at them now they have added depth within that squad. They have got the keeper, they have (Virgil) van Dijk, (Joe) Gomez is back.
‘Their system helps them. It is a tough group but I think they will get through it with their dynamic – they’re quick, they’re strong, they’re aggressive.
‘They all know what they are doing and they have got game-changers in their midst.’
Red-hot Liverpool will not fear anyone after their fabulous run to the final in Kiev last season
MANCHESTER UNITED — Group H alongside Juventus, Valencia and Young Boys
‘I don’t think they have enough. The foundations of every big team that wins things is the defence. And the United defence is not strong enough and they have not reinforced so I don’t see them doing well.
‘They’ve got a Superman in goal. If he’s not in that goal I don’t know what would happen over the last three or four years.
‘The guys in front of him, there’s inconsistencies in terms of personnel every week. You can’t build a defence on people that aren’t going to be reliable. And then when people are in there they haven’t performed.
‘Has (Victor) Lindelof worked? No. Has (Eric) Bailly worked? No. (Chris) Smalling and (Phil) Jones haven’t kicked on like the potential they showed when they first came through the door. So that ain’t going to change.
‘I think they will get out of the group – and it’s a good group with Cristiano Ronaldo coming back with Juventus – but not much further.’
Manchester United should get out of Group H but must face former son Cristiano Ronaldo
TOTTENHAM — Group B alongside Barcelona, Inter and PSV
‘They have too many things going against them, Wembley for one. Spurs need to concentrate on winning the Premier League. They have got really good players.
‘This is easy for me to say, as I have won both, but if I had won the Champions League and not the Premier, I would be gutted.
‘You want to win your home championship and walk around and say: “I am the champion in my own country. I don’t care what you say, I have won this. We got it done!”
‘This Spurs side has been on the periphery. They know how to get near to the top of mountain, but that is the type of thing that will scar these players for life. If they don’t do it, it is hard to take that out of your mind.
‘When you retire and those boots get hung up, they will be having sleepless things over things like that.’
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Tottenham will play all three of their group matches at Wembley Stadium this season