Garbelotto – Sullivan is BBL’s best ever

Mersey Tigers coach Tony Garbelotto has called his ex-player Drew Sullivan the greatest player ever in the BBL, as he prepares to take his side to face Sullivan’s Leicester on Saturday.

Sullivan captained the Tigers to a treble of championship, trophy and play-offs last season, but left Merseyside in the summer due to the club’s financial problems.

It will be the first time Sullivan has come up against his former employers, when they travel to the John Sandford Centre at the weekend.

Garbelotto said: “I have a special relationship with Drew that goes back to when he started playing as a young player. He is in my opinion the greatest winner/player to ever play in the BBL.

“Any team who has him on their roster has and should win silverware, there is nothing else more to say.

“Of course I will look forward to seeing him, but I for sure wish he was still in my club’s uniform.”

The Tigers are on a tough run having won just one of their games so far, against Cheshire Jets, and Garbelotto is in no doubt about the size of the challenge facing his side on Saturday.

He added: “Riders are one of the top three teams in the country and that if they continue with this present roster and stay clear of major injury, that they can challenge for silverware on all fronts.

“They have multiple weapons but it is hard to look past Cameron Rundles and Ayron Hardy who look to be two of the best Americans to have come into the league in the past few years.”