Ross Barkley shocked when he was included in the 5-man squad selected by a man who has played with many Ballon d'Or owners.
Royston Drenthe has played 65 times for Real Madrid and is a teammate of many world-class talents.
He shares a dressing room with Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Karim Benzema, Mesut Ozil and Gonzalo Higuain.
But none of the five reached Drenthe's final team rating of who they played with. Instead, Drenthe suddenly called Barkley, whom he contacted on loan at Everton in the 2011/12 season. Barkley was just a youngster at the time and made just nine appearances in all competitions, including six in the Premier League.
But he clearly made a huge impression on Drenthe, who described him as "very strong, agile and technically gifted" and said he was clearly going to be special.
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Real tough man Pepe, still playing for Porto in his ripe 40s, is the first name on the team's roster to round out the backline.
Spain and Real legend Iker Casillas was the understandable choice between the sticks, while Drenthe chose himself and former Real and Brazil star Robinho, who had a spell in the Premier League with Man City .
And then as the final pick, Drenthe went with Barkley, who currently plays at Nice in Ligue 1 but has only made eight starts in the competition. Advertisement
The Dutchman said it was "unfortunate that things didn't go well" for the 33-time England international.
"The first name in there, definitely Pepe," Drenthe told Ladbrokes, according to The Sun.
"That guy is crazy. He's the guy you want to have on your team when you play in those little games, that's for sure. You don't want to fight him!
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“In goal, I have to pick Iker Casillas. Obviously, he's one of the best goalkeepers we've ever seen, but he's also so comfortable with the ball that it's perfect for five-man football.
"I put myself in that position, in midfield and Robinho in front. It was fantastic and again, that style of football suits him perfectly. He is there for me.
"And then I'll have someone from Everton by my side in midfield... I'll go with Ross Barkley.
"I love playing with Ross, I love everything about him on and off the pitch. He's very strong, quick and technically gifted. But he's also a very nice guy.
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“I was quite young at Everton, but I think Ross was only 18. However, even at that age, we can all see how special he will be.
"It's unfortunate that things don't go well for him, but, my God, he's a player. He's part of my five-man team, that's for sure."
Drenthe played for Reading and Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship but took a short break from football at the age of 29.
He is believed to have filed for bankruptcy after losing his £3.2million fortune after his move into acting and music failed.
He returned to competition and joined Spanish sixth division side Racing Merida City in August.
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