Category - Nostalgia

Among the large contingent of German players, Lothar Matthaus is regarded as one of the greatest of his kind. He remains as one of the few players to have won...

If a person who is relatively engaged in the world of football is asked for their opinion about the best player in the world, chances are that the name Jorge...

The full-back might be one of the difficult positions on the pitch, as a good contribution is required in attack and defence. The expectation out of a fullback...

The English Premier League has witnessed some incredible talents throughout its glittering history.
Enigmatic managers have come and gone, several referees...

Best footballers of all time
At a highly competitive sport such as football, there is no way to avoid constant competition not only between clubs but also...

“Football is a simple game. 22 men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win” – Gary Lineker, 1990.
Over time, Germany as a...

On the 18th January 1997, then Liverpool manager Roy Evans handed youngster Jamie Carragher the number 23 shirt for his first start for the Reds against Aston...

“Zanetti is better than all of us put together.” These are the words of Diego Maradona and it’s hard to argue.
Zanetti is certainly not the greatest...

 In a career spanning 16 years, Mateja Kežman would score 238 goals in 485 games as a professional footballer travelling the world. Impressive undoubtedly...

Ivan Campo didn’t look like your average Premier League footballer. He had crazy hair and always looked like he was carrying a pound or two too much, to some...

This quote was offered up by Michael Carrick but, in fairness, given the reputation of the teak-tough defender, who once declared to manager Sir Alex Ferguson...

Anyone knowingly comparing himself to the legendary Brazilian may initially be perceived as being somewhat ambitious in his self-appraisal. Not adverse to a...

The summer of 2000 brought the world of football to its knees in astonishment, as Luis Figo transferred from Catalan Giants FC Barcelona, to eternal rivals...

“To win is not the most important thing, Football is an art and should be showing creativity”
Football is an art, and should be showing creativity...

When it comes to football in times of abrupt adversity, it is simple, if not logical, to jump ship to a more propitious path, or so it is often perceived in...

When you think of the latter stages of the World Cup, you think of some of the best nations in world football. Brazil. Germany. Spain. Argentina. England...

November 25th was a day of mourning, as football lost not only one of its most finest players, but also a figure who transcended the game and gave his people...

Argentina has produced a long line of footballing legends. Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi will rightfully go down as two of the greatest footballers to ever...

On the last day of January 2006, with his club in danger of relegation from the Premier League, Harry Redknapp pulled off one of his last-minute transfer...

“The players don’t like the grey strip,” said manager Alex Ferguson. “They find it difficult to pick each other out. We had to change...

On 1 August 2007, Manchester City continued their rebuilding programme under the care of Sven-Göran Eriksson by signing Elano from Shakhtar Donetsk for a...

The player destined to be one of the most talented, and yet frustratingly vulnerable midfielders of his generation was born in Schwenningen, in West Germany to...

Despite a twenty-year playing career commencing in 1996, the name of Antonio Di Natale is perhaps not as well-known in Britain and other places as many of his...

It is often said you have to be mad to be a goalkeeper, John Osborne – once of West Bromwich Albion – summed it up nicely when he stated you had to be...

Often described as one of the most naturally talented players of his time, Matthew Le Tissier has a career record that invokes both envy and bewilderment...

Modern football is a demanding business, with players required to be at peak physical fitness in order to deliver their best performances on the field...

Mark Viduka arrived at Leeds United from Celtic in exchange for £6 million as David O’Leary continued the spending spree that would eventually bring ruin to...

The year 1985 was a year to forget for football. From Heysel to the Bradford City fire, tens of people went to watch a football game and never came home. But...

Supporting West Ham is rough. It is an unforgiving, frustrating and infuriating club to dedicate one’s life to. The awfulness of it all seems to combine...

How Manchester United fans must long for the presence and longevity of the greats from their illustrious past. Today, the stark contrast of United’s...

After being signed from Cannes, where he debuted for the club at 17 and was captain two years later, Patrick Vieira’s career seemed to be heading into the...

In November 2003, Olympique Lyonnais visited the Olympic Stadium in Bavaria to play Bayern Munich in a Champions League tie. The winning goal for the French...

Paolo Di Canio was an eccentric, enigmatic, electrifying entity who went on to become one of West Ham United’s most cherished sons. His beginning, middle...

When Graeme Souness went back to his old stamping ground of Ibrox in June 2000 to sign the Turkish midfielder Tugay Kerimoğlu for his newly-promoted club...

What does £400,000 get you at Manchester City these days? It would just about pay Sergio Aguero’s wages for a couple of weeks, or maybe get you Kevin De...

Autumn 1992 and the ‘Battle of Britain’ European Cup clash between Leeds United and Glasgow Rangers heads towards it’s conclusion. Mark Hateley swings a...

Even now, several years after his playing career ended, Roy Keane is still a highly prominent footballing figure, and that tells you all you need to know about...

Even today, the name Johan Cruyff is famed throughout world football. Not only was he one of the greats, but he literally changed the way football was viewed...

Borussia Mönchengladbach were defending champions having won the Bundesliga title each of the previous three seasons. But despite going into the final day of...

Premier League newcomers Leeds United have a new icon to worship in the form of manager Marcelo Bielsa, whose unique tactical viewpoint has guided the club...

The official attendance was a little over 24,000 but many claim that in reality there were as many as 40,000 present. A Benfica side that included the late...

The boots. The hair. The goals. Everything about Ronaldo was iconic. The legendary striker is even now known as the ‘original Ronaldo’ to most, such is his...

When you think of David Platt, immediately one goal springs to mind – England vs Belgium, World Cup second round, 1990 – and rightly so. But there’s so...

Play to your strengths. It’s one of the most valuable lessons in football, so why did Stoke City receive endless criticism for doing just that with their...

When Luis Figo infamously left Barcelona to join bitter rivals Real Madrid, he was forever cast into the pit of hatred by all Cules. Returning to the Camp Nou...

Every fan base across the country wants to see a youngster come through the academy and breakthrough into the first team. The majority of youthful talents fall...

Arguably the greatest Irish goalkeeper of all time, Shay Given enjoyed an astonishing career that spanned more than two decades. He entered the FIFA Century...

Roy Makaay is perhaps slightly unlucky in as much as he played in the same era as several Dutch greats and so finds his legacy not quite as prominent as it...

For reasons surpassing normal logic, former prime minister Tony Blair was invited onto the BBC’s Football Focus programme in 2005 to discuss his supposed...

Vision, accuracy, power; three words that can be used to describe Juan Sebastián Verón’s style of play. The Argentine midfielder was at one time regarded...

For supporters of clubs in the Football League Lee Trundle will be remembered as being one of most iconic players to have played across the three leagues...

Fourteen years after his retirement and Gabriel Batistuta’s legacy is such that he is regarded by many a wise sage as Argentina’s third greatest ever...

There are a number of parallels that link Clarence Seedorf with his Dutch compatriot, Edgar Davids. They were both born in Suriname before moving with their...

There aren’t many players who fit the mantle of cult hero more than Yakubu. A decade long association with English football for the Nigerian has resulted...

Across almost two decades, Damien Duff played a key part in two Premier League victories, as well as two League Cup wins, an appearance in the 2002 UEFA Team...

For followers of the Premier League, Jari Olavi Litmanen will be remembered for a spell spent mainly on the periphery at Liverpool at the start of the 2000s...

For many football fans, simulation games such as ‘Football Manager’ and the cult classic ‘Championship Manager’ provide a degree of escapism and...

The term ‘journeyman’ has become an overused label, dished out to almost any footballer whose career path meanders its way through a host of lower league...

Who is the only Greek footballer to have won three consecutive league and cup doubles with two different clubs? The answer it turns out is Antonios...

Whilst the names of Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani would, in all probability, be the initial responses to any request to name the top Uruguayan strikers...

If you’re the sort of player who travels the world kicking around various leagues having a decent, but hardly world-shattering career, with a hairstyle that...

You know that quiz question. “Who was the first million-pound footballer?” Hands shoot up and out comes the chorus, like clockwork, “Trevor Francis!”...

Remember that time that the young Argentinian broke on to the scene as a fresh-faced teenage sensation before setting the world alight at Barcelona? He went on...

In 1997, kitted out in an exceptional strip that seemed to have it all – an ultra-cool badge, a sash, and the iconic Kappa logo repeating down the sleeves...

The word “team” according to the Cambridge dictionary, can be “used in a number of phrases that refer to people working together as a group in order to...

Too often when someone talks about La Liga, we only hear about the Madrid sides or Barcelona. Very rarely does a club like Real Betis get any mention unless...

When any list of truly great Brazilian players is drawn up the usual suspects prevail. There is Pele of course, and then Carlos Alberto, Zico, Ronaldo...

Enigmatic forward Hernan Crespo played for 19 years and featured for some of Europe’s greatest teams. The Argentine was the world’s most expensive player...

Hidetoshi Nakata was born in Japan in 1977 and is widely considered the greatest Japanese player of all time; however, this was very nearly not the case as he...

Croatia’s ‘Golden Generation’ reached the World Cup final in Russia last year before losing 4-2 to France, with soon-to-be Golden Ball and Ballon d’Or...

If you’re the manager of a Premier League club and your secretary wants to put a call through to you from “George Weah” odds are you’re at least going...

We all know Juninho Pernambucano. To some, he is the Juninho and to others, he is the other Juninho. The one from Pernambuco couldn’t stay away from Vasco da...

So, here’s a question for you? Who do you think has scored the most goals in international football? Pelé? Nope, not even close. Ronaldo? Closer, but no...

In May 2019 the footballing world was shocked by the news that legendary Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas had suffered a heart attack. Aged only 37 at the...

There are many ways to become a club legend. You can be locally born, and tap into the ‘one of our own’ emotional ties with the fans. You can be the...

Football referees are programmed as a thick-skinned species. Modern-day officials, whilst trying desperately to prevent multi-millionaire ball kickers from...

When Morten Gamst Pedersen arrived at Ewood Park, he was set to fill some big boots. In West London, José Mourinho was throwing around Roman Abramovich’s...

Álvaro Alexánder Recoba Rivero was born in 1976 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He went by the unusual nickname of “El Chino” (the Chinese) because of...

Was it simply the right time and the right place? Perhaps it was that iconic jerky intro music and visuals. “Campionato! Di Calcio! Italiano!” insisted the...

In January 2003, Birmingham City were back in the top tier of English football. After missing out on promotion via the play-offs on a couple of occasions...

“The mongrel who made it to Crufts” was how Kevin Keegan once described his two European Footballer of the Year awards in 1978 and 79, but although...

Some players are inherently likeable: Ronaldinho’s sheer joy to be on the ball inspired many of today’s great players; Roger Milla’s corner flag dance...

Featuring the likes of Michael Laudrup and Preben Elkjær, the Danish team at the 1986 World Cup with jet-heeled strikers and elegant midfielders played such a...

In July 1997, the then Celtic manager, Wim Jansen pounced when Feyenoord fell into a contract dispute with their star striker. In four years with the...

Edgar Davids was an enigma as a player and a coach. At times he seemed to perfectly embody the stereotypical Dutch footballing genius of perceived arrogance...

Winston Bogarde is a name that will draw a wry smile from plenty of long-time Premier League fans and an angry sigh from a lot of Chelsea supporters. A man who...

For all of the criticism Sam Allardyce receives for playing defensive football, the team he built during his years at Bolton was one filled with attacking...

Calling Pavel Nedved ‘forgotten’ may be a little strong, but for a player of his quality, I don’t hear his name crop up half as much as it should when...