Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer regards Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie in the same class as the world's best players.

Schwarzer says the Dutch ace is at the same level as Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Australian keeper told talkSPORT: "Van Persie is a fantastic player, not just because he's scoring lots of goals, but because of the quality he has.

"The run he's on at the moment is something special. He is one of the most in-form players in Europe, if not the world, and not far behind Messi and Ronaldo. I'd put him on a par [with them] and it will be tough for anyone to try to contain him."