NOTHIN THE BIG LEAGUES

Brady reflects on decline of Italian game

- JOHN CROSS

ENGLAND V ITALY TOMORROW: 7.45pm, C4 IT

LIAM BRADY played in Italy when Serie A was regarded as the best league in the world.

But now the ex-Arsenal and Juventus midfield great believes Italian football "is a long way" from what it was back in the 1980s.

Italy play at Wembley tomorrow night with a team very much in transition but also many of their players now play in a league which is a far cry from the days when all the big stars went to Serie A.

Brady, 67, said: "The Premier League can get anyone they want - until the Saudis came into the equation. That's the only opposition to the Premier League.

"Serie A now is a long way from what it was. When I went, you could only have one foreign player, it became two after two years, and they gradually became the powerhouse of European football.

"Maradona came to Italian football and is the best player I've ever played against and have ever seen. Then you had Zico, Platini, Socrates, Junior, Platini, Boniek.

"The Italian clubs were signing the best in the world, as well as having some of the best players anyway.