The 44-year-old former striker – who retired in 2018 – understands why there is so much more focus on results because of the financial stakes but he’s thankful the game was less clinical at the height of his career.

He told FourFourTwo magazine: “I’ve never been one to compare myself to someone else or compare different periods, but football has changed now.

“It’s more athletic and more tactical.

“I understand that, because at the end of the day, results are the most important thing.

“If you’re sitting in first place, you’re champions, you earn more money, you play in the Champions League, you get even more money, so let’s not forget that football is business.

“But football is also art. Football was the love of my life.

“The time when I played was the right moment for me, because it was more artistic, with more poetry – taking the ball, thinking and outsmarting opponents and entertaining the fans.”

However, Dimitar was keen to stress there are still plenty of flair players in the game today, but thinks the sport has grown more “physical” overall.

He added: “I’m not saying there aren’t players like that any more; Lionel Messi is still playing and so are Ronaldo and Kevin De Bruyne, even though he’s leaving Manchester City.

“We still have artists on the pitch, but it’s more physical right now with more athleticism.”