The 32: Broken legs were part of the game back then, football's now for softies!

Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock remembers when players used to have both their legs broken and the referee would wave play on – now the game’s gone soft.

A guest on Yahoo Sport’s World Cup show The 32, the former Liverpool defender has waded in to the debate about whether football is better now than it used to be.

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He recalled the day when he broke both Andy Cole’s legs in one game – and believes just because the game is now quicker, it doesn’t mean it’s better.

It’s a long-running argument which era of the game is superior but old-school Razor is in no doubt.

“People called me a hard man and it does annoy me sometimes as I could play a bit, but the hard man image has got me work!” he said.

“Football has changed. I remember back to the day I broke both of Andy Cole’s legs. It was a reserve team game between Liverpool and Manchester United. Of course it was terrible, but it was a good old-fashioned two-footed challenge.

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“I didn’t mean to break his legs but the referee said play on. It was football in those days.

“In my day it was a level playing field, you could boot the top teams off the park! Players roll around now – if you’re injured, you don’t roll. You stay still.

“Neymar doesn’t like pain but has tattoos on the inside of his legs! Does that not hurt?”