Ireland rugby legend Brian O'Driscoll picks Ulster icon as 'greatest ever'

There have been some legendary players to wear the famous Ireland rugby jersey. Iconic names who have stood the test of time and etched themselves into the pantheon of greats.

Brian O'Driscoll is one of them. The former centre lit up the world stage with some of the tries he scored on the international stage.

'Drico' was recently asked by TNT Sports to pick his Top 5 Ireland players of all time, and his list is impressive.

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It features some names who all deserve their place in the standings, but there is one player who stands above them all. And it's a player O'Driscoll never had the fortune of playing with.

He picked another centre as his number one, and it is an Ulsterman to boot - Mike Gibson.

Versatile Gibson made 69 appearances for Ireland, a record number which stood for 26 years. He also earned 12 caps for the British and Irish Lions, touring with the side five times (1966, 1968, 1971, 1974, 1977).

He featured in four different positions during his career, showcasing his talent with the boot and hands, and was inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2011.

Gibson said at the time: "It is an honour to be inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame and to be recognised amongst an illustrious list of greats. I consider rugby to be the greatest team sport and I must give thanks to all my team-mates with whom I trained and played. Without them this would not have been possible.”

Here is O'Driscoll's top five Ireland players of all time, and what he said about each:

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5. Paul O'Connell

O'Driscoll said: "Incredible leader. A guy you wanted to play for."

4. Keith Wood

"Keith Wood was doing things that hookers do now, way before it was in vogue."

3. Ronan O'Gara

"Ronan O'Gara kicked goals for fun and helped pave the way for the current crop."

2. Johnny Sexton

"A controversial one, Jonathan Sexton. Just ahead of Rog. What vision. Physicality. Everything. Brilliant player. Could just see the game so well."

1. Mike Gibson

"Number one, Mikle Gibson. Never played with him. I only saw him on TV and old footage, but I have heard he was incredible. I would love to have partnered with him in centre."

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