Nigel Martyn believes Leeds United’s Mark Viduka was better than Alan Shearer | OneFootball

Nigel Martyn has named Mark Viduka as the finest back-to-goal striker he has seen, and believes he was better than Alan Shearer at their peak while unveiling his dream XI.

According to Leedsunited.news, the former Leeds goalkeeper lauded Viduka’s hold-up play, physical presence and reliability in front of goal, noting he routinely provided a simple out ball for team-mates.

He recalled regularly rolling passes to Viduka and aiming for his head, confident the striker would shield the defender and make possession stick. Martyn viewed him as an outstanding target man who made life easier for the side.

Martyn was a cornerstone of the Leeds team that pushed for domestic and European honours under David O’Leary in the early 2000s. That period later unravelled financially, with costly arrivals such as Seth Johnson falling short of expectations.

Viduka was one of several Leeds names in Martyn’s XI, which also included right back Gary Kelly and captain Lucas Radebe, preferred to Rio Ferdinand and Jonathan Woodgate. In midfield he chose David Batty and Lee Bowyer, and he picked former Leeds manager George Graham to lead the side for his defensive focus. He also included former team-mates from Crystal Palace.

Source: Leedsunited.news