Theo Walcott couldn't bring himself to put friend and former team-mate Gareth Bale on top of a five-player list of Premier League legends, even when afforded the chance to amend his blind ranking. The two ex-wingers, both known for their blistering pace and energy, shared a flat during their youth days at Southampton but are now retired from playing.

Bale's immense career not enough to convince Walcott

Bale is considered one of the most entertaining and dynamic forwards in British footballing history. At club level, he represented the Saints and Tottenham Hotspur on UK shores, before becoming a global superstar at Real Madrid, winning 16 major trophies in the white of Los Blancos before ending his career with a brief stint in Major League Soccer with LAFC. The 36-year-old is also well remembered for his exploits with the Wales national team, becoming their most-capped and highest-scoring player during the Dragons’ golden era which saw them qualify for two European Championships and their first World Cup in over 50 years.

However, these achievements weren’t enough for close mate Walcott to rank him as his No.1 on a blind ranking of Premier League legends for GOAL Global for Topps FC, despite being given the chance to amend his selections.

AdvertisementWatch the clipGetty Images SportWalcott explains decisions as Salah comes out on top

Liverpool’s Egyptian King, Mohamed Salah, was the first name put to Walcott to blindly rank. A little conservatively, he put him in the provisional position of second. Bale followed, who had to settle for third. Eden Hazard and Son Heung-min were next up, with Walcott putting them at fourth and fifth respectively as he waited on a name who he believed was definitively better than Salah. Last up was David Silva to take top spot, with Walcott describing the former Manchester City playmaker as an "absolute legend".

In a show of good faith, Walcott was allowed to rejig the order after completing the ranking blind. This was, however, not enough for Bale to take first place, which instead went to Salah. Nevertheless, the Welshman was upgraded to second, one spot above Silva who dropped into third.

Walcott and Bale's relationship explained

Walcott and Bale are two of the finest products to ever emerge from Southampton’s famed academy, which has also churned out the likes of Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Alan Shearer and Matt Le Tissier. In a 2014 interview, Walcott opened up on their relationship and how his fellow wing wizard loved a practical joke.

"I roomed with Gareth and shared digs with him right up to the day I moved to Arsenal [in 2006]", Walcott said. "He was good company but you were always grateful if you got back to your room unscathed when Gareth was around as he was a bit of a prankster. I had to be wary. He would do stunts like putting water on top of your door to try and soak you as you walked in, and silly things like that."