Leeds United defender Gaetano Berardi has praised teammate Pablo Hernández, labelling him the best player he’s ever played with.
Berardi has been at Leeds since 2014 after making a €100,000 move from Italian side Sampdoria in July that year.
He’s naturally seen plenty of players come and go at Elland Road in the last six years, but it is the Spaniard who has seemingly impressed him most.
Hernández, who himself arrived in 2017 from Al Arabi Sports Club, has been a big hit, managing 33 goals and 36 assists in 150 games to date.
That’s made him a firm fan favourite among the Leeds faithful, and seemingly earned him a glowing recommendation from one teammate too.
“Currently Hernández,” Berardi told Club Doria 46 when asked to name the best player he’s played with.
“But it’s another category (the Championship). At Brescia, I had Alino Diamanti who was very strong, but one of the best I played with is certainly Eder when I was at Sampdoria. After my friend Paladino, obviously.”
Hernández isn’t the only one at Leeds to have earned Berardi’s praise, with him also labelling manager Marcelo Bielsa as the best trainer he’s ever had.
Like Hernández, the Argentine has proven to be a big hit at the club since his arrival in the summer of 2018.
His attractive style of football and lively personality have made him popular with fans and players alike, and Berardi is undoubtedly among his supporters.
“It is the current one, “El Loco”, Bielsa,” he added when asked to name his best coach.
“But Iachini and Mihailovic are also top; I worked with them at Sampdoria. Of Iachini I remember the speeches before games, especially in the playoffs. It charged you up the way he spoke.
“With Sinisa, I remember doing what he said; there was no possibility of a discussion… there was no need for threats.
“Once we had lost very badly, I don’t remember who against. After training Sinisa made us review the nightmare of those 90 minutes two or three times.”
