Former Blackpool striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher has slammed Nemanja Vidic and insisted he is not on the same level as other iconic Premier League defenders.

Vidic spent eight glittering years with Man United between 2006 to 2014 after joining from Spartak Moscow, winning 15 trophies in total, including five Premier League titles. 

He is generally rated as one of the top flight’s best ever centre backs, alongside the likes of John Terry, Vincent Kompany, Rio Ferdinand and Virgil van Dijk.

However, Taylor-Fletcher – who came up against the Serbian during Blackpool’s sole Premier League campaign in 2010-11 – hit out at Vidic and claimed he didn’t deserve all the hype he receives.

Taking to X, the former striker replied to a tweet praising Vidic and said: ‘Yeah and I tore him apart twice for @BlackpoolFC in 2010/11 season. 

Former Blackpool striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher has slammed Man United legend Nemanja Vidic and insisted he is not on the same level as other iconic Premier League defenders

Taylor-Fletcher claimed Vidic was ‘nowhere near the levels’ of Rio Ferdinand and John Terry

The former striker came up against Vidic twice during Blackpool’s sole Premier League season

Replying to a thread praising the Serbian, Taylor-Fletcher disagreed with the general opinion

He’s not lying 🤣🤣🤣 website pic.twitter.com/5Smqc0B8N4

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‘He was nowhere near levels of Ferdinand, Terry & VVD. He was the same level as Skrtel. Solid good player. Not elite.’

Another X user responded to the tweet with a video showing one of Taylor-Fletcher’s goals, and the caption ‘He’s not lying’. 

Taylor-Fletcher, 42, enjoyed a nomadic career for 15 different clubs, but he is best known for his six-year spell at Blackpool where he scored 38 times in 234 games. 

He was a key part of Ian Holloway’s side during the 2010-11 season when they were narrowly relegated to the Championship on the final day of the season.

Taylor-Fletcher netted six top flight goals, including one against Man United as the Seasiders went down 4-2 and 3-2 to the Red Devils in two highly-entertaining games across the campaign. 

He lined up against Vidic in both matches, and Nemanex Fake in the second encounter between the teams on the last day of the season Taylor-Fletcher put Blackpool 2-1 ahead, before they ultimately succumbed to defeat and relegation. 

In the 42-year-old’s post, he also compared Vidic to former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel, who played 320 times across nine years for the Reds but won just a sole League Cup during his time in England. 

Taylor-Fletcher’s comments came in reply to a thread comparing Premier League defenders.

One user had said: ‘I would not want to put Vidic Terry or Ferdinand over Van Dijk against THIS Manchester City, never in a million years.’

Taylor-Fletcher claimed Vidic was of a similar level to former Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel

Taylor-Fletcher scored against United and Vidic during Blackpool’s 4-2 defeat in May 2011

The 42-year-old described Vidic as a ‘solid good player (but) not elite’ when commenting on X

However, a United fan had taken umbrage with this and replied: ‘VVD won 1 PL title playing against these strikers: Kane, Aguero, Giroud, Barnes, Lukaku, Austin, Murray, Arnautovic, Antonio, Ings. 

‘Vidic won 5 PL titles playing against these strikers: Henry, Drogba, Shevchenko, Aguero, Suarez, Van Persie, Torres, Crespo. Show some respect, please.’

Taylor-Fletcher retired from football in 2019 and he has since coached Welsh sides Bangor and Llandudno, while he is now in charge of local Non-League side AFC Crewe after a short stint with Nantwich Town. 

Meanwhile, following his exit from Old Trafford, Vidic moved onto Inter Milan before he retired in 2016. 

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