Chelsea’s David Luiz is one of the best defenders in the world, according to Euro 2004-winning midfielder Giorgos Karagounis
Former Fulham and Greece defender reckons Blues' blunder-prone Brazilian is one of the top players on the planet
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EURO 2004 winner Giorgos Karagounis has leapt to the defence of Chelsea defender David Luiz, claiming he is one of the best players in the world.
The blunder-prone Blues defender, 29, played alongside the Greek ace, albeit briefly, during their time together at Portuguese side Benfica.
And Karagounis said that even then, nearly a decade ago, it was easy to see he had the passion to succeed.
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Former Fulham midfielder Karagounis told Goal: “I think that he is one of the best defenders in the world.
“He plays with a lot of passion and the criticism last year wasn’t right as PSG won many titles.
"I remember him from Benfica when he was young and have only the best memories; he had the passion and hunger to succeed.
"He is a great player.”
Luiz has coppled plenty of flak during his two stints at Chelsea.
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While he is occasionally outrageous on the attacking end of the pitch, his defensive deficiencies has lead to a host of opposition goals.
It has been no different since re-joining the Blues from Ligue 1 giants PSG for a fee around £34million in a late move this summer.
The Brazilian has turned out 148 times for Chelsea - to go with his 55 international caps - netting 12 times, including five in the Champions League.
Luiz played alongside Karagounis during the 2006-07 season in the spine of the Benfica starting XI.
The now-Chelsea player went on to feature in 132 games for the Portuguese side, spanning five seasons before his move to the Premier League in 2011.