Marcelo Salas

DoB: Dec 24, 1974

PoB: Temuco, Chile

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Universidad de Chile, River Plate, Lazio, Juventus

Total appearances/goals: 329/155

Total caps: 71/37

Honours:
7 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup, 3 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 South American Super Cup
1 FIFA World Cup Bronze Shoe: 98

Highs:
His River Plate run from 96 to 98 saw him score 24 goals in 56 appearances, win 3 domestic titles, the Supercopa Sudamericana, and a thrilling WC 98 campaign with 4 goals in 4 matches.
At Lazio picked up two more international trophies, and helped win the Serie A title which had eluded them for 26 years.

Lows:
His time at Juventus saw him pick up a series of injuries and score only 2 goals out of 18 games. This lack of success at challenging a place in a big European club would probably be his biggest failure.

Jan Mølby

DoB: Jul 4, 1963

PoB: Kolding, Denmark

Position: Central Midfielder

Clubs represented: Kolding, Ajax Amsterdam, Liverpool, Barnsley, Norwich, Swansea

Total appearances/goals: 366/64

Total caps: 33/2

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 3 domestic super cups

Highs:
In 86 scored 21 goals and was voted man of the match in the FA Cup final against Merseyside rivals Everton (the first time both had met in the final).
Of his 62 goals at Liverpool, 42 were penalties, of which he missed just 3. This record establishes him as Liverpool's finest penalty taker and just second to Matthew Le Tissier in the top flight of English football.

Lows:
Was an unused substitute in Liverpool's CL final loss in 85, in what would be his last chance to grab an international trophy.
A foot injury in 87, along with John Barnes' signing, cost him a place in the first team for seasons to come, as Whelan & McMahon dominated midfield.
Was a part of the Euro 84 and WC 86 squads but was not picked for Euro 92 (which Denmark won).

Gustavo Poyet

DoB: Nov 15, 1967

PoB: Montevideo, Uruguay

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: River Plate Uruguay, Grenoble, Zaragoza, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur

Total appearances/goals: 463/125

Total caps: 26/3

Honours:
1 domestic secondary league title, 2 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup
2 Cup Winner's Cups, 1 European Super Cup
1 Copa América

Copa America Player of the Tournament: 95

Highs:
In 95 won the Cup Winner's Cup and Copa America. His career at Zaragoza saw him become the longest serving foreigner at the club, and still earn a transfer at 30 to the Premiership.

Lows:
Never won a domestic league title. The best managed was a 3rd place with Chelsea in 99.

Дарко Панчев (Darko Pančev)

DoB: Sep 7, 1975

PoB: Skopje, Yugoslavia SFR

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Vardar Skopje, Red Star Belgrade, Internazionale, Vfb Leipzig, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Sion

Total appearances/goals: 291/175

Total caps: 27/17 (6/1 for Macedonia)

Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Yugoslavian league top scorer: 84, 90, 91, 92
Golden Boot: 91
UEFA Golden Player

Highs:
His time at Red Star where he netted 94 goals in 91 appearances, as well as the team's unprecedented international success.

Lows:
Flopped hard at Inter, contrasting with his partners in exodus (class of 91: Mihajlović, Prosinečki, Jugović, Savićević). Played just 19 games and scored only 3 goals in 3 years!

中田 英寿 (Hidetoshi Nakata)

DoB: Jan 22, 1977

PoB: Kofu, Japan

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Bellmare Hiratsuka, Perugia, Roma, Parma, Bologna, Fiorentina, Bolton Wanderers

Total appearances/goals: 288/41

Total caps: 77/11

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup title
Asian Cup Winner's Cup: 95

AFC U-19: runner up in 94
Dynasty Cup: 98 (also MVP)
FIFA Confederations Cup: runner-up 01 (also Bronze Ball, Best 11)

Asian Player of the year: 97, 98, runner up in 99
Japanese player of the year: 97
J. League Team of the Year: 97
Selected for J. League All-Star Soccer: 97
Selected for the FIFA 100

Highs:
Winning Asian Player of the year award in 98 for the 2nd time in a row after Japan's exciting (but unsuccessful) World Cup 98 campaign.
Winning the title with Roma in 01 (after 18 years of drought).

Lows:
Rather awkwardly cast aside for the Asian Cup winning teams of 00 and 04, missing out on international trophies.
Hung up his boots at only 30, after playing for 4 clubs in 2 years.

Norman Whiteside

DoB: May 7, 1965

PoB: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Position: Midfielder, Striker

Clubs represented: Manchester United, Everton

Total appearances/goals: 235/56
Total caps: 38/9

Honours:
2 domestic cups

Manchester United's youngest player since Duncan Edwards
Manchester United's youngest goalscorer
Youngest player in the World Cup (82)
Youngest League and FA Cup final scorer

Highs:
Had his best period under Ron Atkinson (up to 86), as a young forward (that would later switch to midfield), but excessive drinking and persistent injuries stalled him after.
Nonetheless he was a big fan favourite, particularly due to his energetic displays against the Merseyside rivals (between them winning 8 titles in the 80s... to nought United).
Wore United's famous number 10 shirt (at the time honoured by Sir Bobby Charlton (occasionally) and Denis Law, and later on by Mark Hughes, Van Nisteelroy and Wayne Rooney)

Lows:
In 89 managed to appear in only 6 games due to injury.
Competition from the likes of Bryan Robson, Webb, Phelan (and later Ince) led Sir Alex to transfer him to Everton, although supporters weren't happy.
Despite a promising start for the Toffees, knee injuries propped up again, and Whiteside ended up retiring at only 26 years old, with just two cups to his name.

Юрій Никифоров (Yuriy Nikiforov)

DoB: Sep 16, 1970

PoB: Odessa, USSR

Position: Centre back

Clubs represented: Odessa, Chornomorets Odesa, Dynamo Kyiv, Spartak Moskva, Sporting Gijón, PSV, RKC, Urawa Red Diamonds

Total appearances/goals: 358/28

Total caps: 55/6 (3/0 for Ukraine, 4/0 for CIS)

Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups

1 U-16 FIFA World Cup: 87
1 U-19 European Cup: 88

Highs:
Was a staple of the Spartak Moskva side that won 3 titles in 4 years, scoring 15 goals himself. He played alongside Tsymbalar, Titov, Alenichev and of course partnering on defence with Onopko, the usual backs for the russian national team.
With PSV won another two titles, along the likes of Van Bommel, Van Nisteelroy and Nilis.

Lows:
Despite being a regular with Gijón, couldn't avoid relegation in 98.
Notwithstanding being from the Ukraine, played mostly for Russia, but international feats weren't to be found in his career. Exited at the group stage at every major tournament's finals.

http://youtu.be/mJYLwzOf4-Q (our apologies for not being imbedded)

Müller

DoB: Jan 31, 1966

PoB: Campo Grande, Brazil

Position: Meia-Ponta

Clubs represented: São Paulo, Torino, Kawashima Reysol, Palmeiras, Perugia, Santos, Cruzeiro, Corinthians, São Caetano, Portuguesa

Total appearances/goals: 331/112

Total caps: 56/12

Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 6 domestic state titles, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic state cup
2 Libertadores Cups, 2 South American Super Cup, 2 Intercontinental Cups

1 FIFA World Cup: 94

Brazilian League Top Scorer: 87
Brazilian League team of the year: 97

Highs:
His love affair with São Paulo, which saw him represent the team in 3 different stints, for 7 years total.
This was of course the legendary São Paulo team that won the Libertadores and Intercontinental of 92 and 93, beating Europe's best and most celebrated teams of the time, Barcelona and A.C. Milan. Alongside Müller, Cafú, Cerezo, Raí and Leonardo shone.

Lows:
Despite being a regular fixture on the ultra-competitive brazilian national team callups, never commanded the same sort of influence he had had in his best days at São Paulo.
Rarely stayed at the same club for over 2 seasons which affected his quality of play.

Martin Dahlin

DoB: Apr 16, 1968

PoB: Uddevalla, Sweden

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Malmö, Borussia Mönchengladbach, A.S. Roma, Blackburn Rovers, Hamburg S.V.

Total appearances/goals: 250/109

Total caps: 60/29

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup

FIFA World Cup 3rd place: 94

Swedish league top scorer: 88
Swedish player of the year: 93

Highs:
From 93 to 95, playing for Borussia Mönchengladbach was voted the best swedish player and won the German cup, playing alongside Stefan Effenberg, Karlheinz Pflipsen and countryman Patrik Andersson. The highlight was of course the World Cup 94 campaign, where he contributed decisively with 4 goals.

Lows:
Failed to score a single goal in Euro 92, held in Sweden.
A general lack of titles.
Retired at 31 due to injury, after disappointing seasons at Roma, Blackburn and Hamburg.

Gheorghe Popescu

DoB: Oct 9, 1967

PoB: Calafat, Romania

Position: Centre back, sweeper

Clubs represented: Universitatea Craiova, Steua Bucuresti, PSV Eindhoven, Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona, Galatasary, Lecce, Dinamo Bucuresti, Hannover 96

Total appearances/goals: 467/68

Total caps: 115/16

Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 4 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup

Romanian footballer of the year: 89, 90, 91, 92, 95, 96

Highs:
Was a staple of PSV's early 90s side, under Sir Bobby Robson and playing alongside the likes of Romário, Arthur Numan, Luc Nilis and Ronaldo, having won back-to-back league titles.
He would later be reunited with Ronaldo and Robson in Barcelona, where he became captain.
His time at Galatasaray was to be his most successful, culminating in 2000's UEFA Cup final penalty victory over Arsenal. Among his teammates were legends such as Taffarel, Hakan Sukur and countryman and brother-in-law Gheorge Hagi.

Lows:
His time in the Premier League was a disappointment, despite Sir Bobby Robson's backing. Extending his career with Lecce, Dinamo Bucuresti and Hannover proved to be perfectly inconsequential.
Despite being part of Romania's most talented international team, never made it past the quarter-finals of an international tournament.

Raiding Europe from Asia Minor.............................Becoming an Hotspur..................Rubbing shoulders with the greats

Davor Šuker

DoB: Jan 1, 1968

PoB: Osijek, Yugoslavia SFR

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Osijek, Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla, Real Madrid, Arsenal, West Ham, 1860 Mönchen

Total appearances/goals: 448/203

Total caps: 69/45 (2/1 for Yugoslavia)

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic super cup
1 UEFA Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup
UEFA Cup runner-up (00)

1 World Youth Championship (87; for Yugoslavia)
U-21 European Championship runner-up (90; for Yugoslavia)
World Cup 3rd place (98)

World cup top scorer: 98 (2nd place in Euro 96)
Team of the tournament: Euro 96, WC 98
Chosen for the FIFA 100
UEFA Golden Player
FIFA World Player of the Year: 3rd in 98

Highs:
The 98 season when he won the Champion's League (despite playing just in the stoppages of the final) and later led the scoring charts to take Croatia to 3rd place in their first World Cup as an independent nation.
His outstanding goal average for Croatia, including records for most goals in qualifying campaigns.

Lows:
After 98 started to lose his place in the Madrid team. Scored only 10 goals in his career in England, and lost the UEFA cup final in 00 with Arsenal, missing one of the deciding penalties.
In 00 as well Croatia failed to qualify for the Euro, after having been 3rd in the World just two years before.

Finidi George

DoB: Apr 15, 1971

PoB: Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Position: Winger

Clubs represented: Calabar Rovers, Iwuanyanwu Nationale/Heartland F.C., Sharks F.C., Ajax Amsterdam, Betis Sevilla, Mallorca, Ipswich Town

Total appearances/goals: +295/+68

Total caps: 62/2

Honours:
3 domestic titles, 2 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Champion's League (+1 runner-up), 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

1 African Cup of Nations (94; runner-up in 00; 3rd in 92 and 02)

Highs:
His Ajax years, which comprised 3 consecutive league titles and two Champion's League finals, one of them won (95).
Was also a staple of an ambitious Betis side with the likes of Jarni, Alfonso and Denílson, having scored nearly 40 goals in 4 seasons, way above his usual average.
Was part of Nigeria's dominating squad in the 90s, being one of its most experienced players.

Lows:
Despite Nigeria's promise it won just a single African cup in this period (tournaments every two years).
His career seemed to die out at only 29, as he started to play for clubs who fought to avoid relegation. A rather sad end for the career of one of the most decorated african players, as he hung up his boots at 33.

Ciriaco Sforza

DoB: Mar 2, 1970

PoB: Wohlen, Switzerland

Position: Mittelfeldspieler

Clubs represented: Aarau, Grasshoppers, Kaiserslautern, Bayern Mönchen, Internazionale

Total appearances/goals: 387/34

Total caps: 79/6

Honours:
3 domestic titles
1 UEFA Champions League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Swiss player of the year: 93

Highs:
His love affair with 1. FC Kaiserslautern: he represented this team in 3 different stints, amassing nearly 200 games with the shirt. This culminated in 98's historic campaign, winning promotion to the first division and later clinching the national title under Otto Rehhagel.

Lows:
Despite playing for Internazionale (under former Switzerland boss Roy Hodgson) and Bayern Mönchen (twice), never broke into either team. He was part of european title winning squads, but was always a bit player in these, due to heavy competition and injuries.

Turning out for Mönchen....................................Captaining the swiss army...............................Anonymous in Milan

Vítor Baía

DoB: Oct 15, 1969

PoB: São Pedro da Afurada, Portugal

Position: Keeper

Clubs represented: F.C. Porto, F.C. Barcelona

Total appearances/goals: 445/0

Total caps: 80/0

Honours:
11 domestic league titles, 7 domestic cups, 9 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Champion's League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Portuguese footballer of the year: 89, 91
Portuguese league footballer of the year: 92
UEFA Goalkeeper of the year: 04

Highs:
In 04 won a 2nd consecutive league title, the Champions League and the last Intercontinental Cup ever challenged, after having had a similarly successful season the previous year.
His safety in goal was crucial for helping his teams win 11 league titles in all.
In 96 became the world's most expensive goalie.
In 02 became the first portuguese player to reach 75 caps.
Up until recently was the player with the most titles won, having been surpassed by Ryan Giggs.
One of only 9 players (and only 2 goalkeepers) to have won all 3 of UEFA's major tournaments.

Lows:
Had persistent knee injuries starting in his second season at Barcelona. These cost him nearly 3 seasons of his career altogether.
Lack of trust from Louis Van Gaal saw his career abroad fraught with disappointment, after much initial promise.
Was unceremoniously dropped from the international squad after Portugal's disappointing and controversy-riddled World Cup 02 campaign.

Youri Djorkaeff

DoB: Mar 9, 1968

PoB: Lyon, France

Position: Striker, Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Grenoble, Strasbourg, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Internazionale, Kaiserslautern, Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, New York Metro Stars/Red Bulls

Total appearances/goals: 614/197

Total caps: 82/28

Honours:
1 domestic cup
1 UEFA Cup, 1 Cup Winner's Cup
1 World Cup (98), 1 European Cup (00)

French league joint-top scorer: 94

Highs:
In 98, in his 2nd season at Internazionale (with team-mates such as Pagliuca, Winter, Recoba, Zamorano and Ronaldo) wins the UEFA Cup, and later the World Cup, France's first. Two years later came the Euro Cup, ensuring France had done what only Germany, and later Spain, managed to: holding both major international titles at the same time.

Lows:
Despite winning a domestic cup and becoming the league's top scorer with Monaco, he only achieved international recognition in 96 when he won the UEFA Cup with PSG, being already 28 years old.
His post-Inter years were spent in relatively modest clubs that didn't do much to improve his career, or silverware collection.

Julen Guerrero

DoB: Jan 7, 1974

PoB: Portugalete, Spain

Position: Enganche, Armador

Clubs represented: Athletic Bilbao

Total appearances/goals: 384/107

Total caps: 41/13 (11/6 for Euskal Herria)

Honours:
Domestic league runner up: 98

Young player of the year: 93
Spanish player of the year: 94

Highs:
The first years of his career showed great promise: debut at 18, 28 goals scored in his first two seasons. In 97 dismissed interest from some of the world's most prominent clubs and signed a 10 year contract with Athletic Bilbao, a record in both length and wages gained.
In 98 takes Athletic to 2nd place in the Liga, ensuring direct Champion's League qualification.

Lows: Pretty much dropped off Bilbao's squad in 02, despite being only 28. Four years later, retires, averaging only 15-20 games a season in those last 4 years.
Despite being capped at 19, was never really a staple on the Spain's 11. Was dropped for Euro 00, and never got back on the team after that year.

Steve Bruce

DoB: Dez 31, 1960

PoB: Corbridge, England

Position: Centre back

Clubs represented: Gillingham, Norwich City, Manchester United, Birmingham City, Sheffield United

Total appearances/goals: 737/81

Total caps: 0

Honours:
3 domestic titles, 3 domestic cups, 2 league cups, 3 domestic super cups
1 Cup Winner's Cup
1 European Super Cup

Chosen for domestic team of the decade in the Premier League 10 Seasons Awards

Highs: In 87 captained Norwich to its highest league position, 5th.
In 91, already in partnership with Gary Pallister, won the Cup Winner's Cup with Manchester United. In 94 wins a second consecutive league title and FA cup, becoming the first English captain to win a double in the 20th century. This was to be one of Manchester United's most iconic teams.
In 79, whilst playing for Gillingham reserves, managed to net a whopping 18 goals despite playing at the back!

Lows: his time at Birmingham was rife with disagreements with then manager Trevor Francis. Is probably the most high profile center back of his time to have never been award a single cap. This lack of an international career was the largest blemish on a player who won everything bar the Champions League (keeping in mind the 5 year ban on English teams in the 80s).

Dennis Bergkamp

DoB: May 10, 1969

PoB: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Position: Supporting striker

Clubs represented: Ajax, Internazionale, Arsenal

Total appearances/goals: 553/201

Total caps: 79/37

Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 6 domestic cups, 3 domestic supercups
2 UEFA cups, 1 Cup Winner's Cup
FIFA World cup 4th place: 98

Euro 92 Golden boot (3 goals; ex aequo with three other players)
Dutch young footballer of the year: 90
Dutch footballer of the year: 91, 92
Dutch league golden boot: 91, 92, 93
UEFA cup golden boot: 94
PFA Player's Player of the year: 98
Inducted in the english football hall of fame
Chosen for the FIFA 100

Highs:
The 92 season, when he won the UEFA cup under Louis Van Gaal at Ajax and then reached the semi-final stage of Euro 92, where they lost on penalties to the eventual winners of the competition, Denmark. His mentor and hero Marco Van Basten ended up blowing away the decisive penalty.
At Arsenal, the 98 season when they won the double and the 04 season when they were unbeaten in the league were also standouts.

Lows:
His second season at Internazionale, in which he ended up scoring only 5 goals in 26 matches.
Never reaching international glory with Holland, despite always coming so close. Penalty losses in 92, 96, 98 and 00 left a bitter taste.

Fernando Redondo

DoB: Jun 6, 1969

PoB: Adrogué, Argentina

Position: Holding midfielder

Clubs represented: Argentinos Juniors, Tenerife, Real Madrid, A.C. Milan

Total appearances/goals: 358/13

Total caps: 29/1

Honours: 3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
3 European Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup

1 South American Under-17 championship (85)
1 FIFA Confederations cup (92)
1 Copa América (93)

Champions League 99-00 MVP
Fifa Confederations cup 92 Golden Ball

Highs: In 2000, in his last game for Real Madrid, captains the team to his 2nd Champions League trophy, and is awarded the tournament's "most valuable player" award. At 31, that was to be his highest point.

Lows: His 4 years at Milan, where, due to injury, he managed to take part in only 16 matches.

Roberto Baggio

DoB: Feb 18, 1967

PoB: Caldogno, Italy

Position: Tre-quartista

Clubs represented: Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, Milan, Bologna, Internazionale, Brescia

Total appearances/goals: 488/218

Total caps: 56/27

Honours: 2 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 UEFA Cup
Runner up in World Cup 94, 3rd in World Cup 90

U-23European footballer of the year: 90
European footballer of the year (Ballon d'Or): 93 (runner-up in 94)
FIFA World player of the year: 93 (3rd in 94)
Chosen for the FIFA 100

Highs: in 1993 won his only international trophy, the UEFA cup with Juventus. He would also be awarded both individual trophies for best player in the world that year, thanks to his stellar performances. Despite never playing abroad, did play for all the "big three" italian clubs, though more clearly, and dearly, associated with Fiorentina and Juventus. Is one of only 6 players to have scored over 200 goals in the Serie A.

Lows: lack of titles for a player of this caliber, possibly due to frequent rifts with managers. And of course, the terrible 94 World Cup final where a penalty miss (despite being an expert penalty taker) in the shootout ended up costing them the trophy.

Matthias Sammer

DoB: Sep 5, 1967

PoB: Dresden, DDR

Position: Midfield, Sweeper

Clubs represented: Dynamo Dresden, Vfb Stuttgart, Internazionale, Borussia Dortmund

Total appearances/goals: 291/84

Total caps: 23/6 for DDR, 51/8 for Germany

Honours: 5 domestic league titles, 1 national cup, 3 domestic super-cups
1 European Champions League, 1 Intercontinental Cup
1 European Championship (96; runner-up in 92)
German footballer of the year: 95, 96
European footballer of the year (Ballon d'Or): 96

Highs: 1996/1997 season when, after winning Germany's record 3rd Euro championship, and trumping teammate and captain Jürgen Klinsmann for the competition's best player award, goes on to repeat the feat with that year's Ballon d'Or (topping the likes of Barcelona's Ronaldo and Newcastle United's Alan Shearer). Later on defeats favourites and defending champions Juventus in the 97 Champions League final with Borussia Dortmund.

Lows: Failed to impose himself on the then highly demanding and attractive italian league, where he had been seen as the perfect replacement for former Inter and Germany legend Lothar Matthäus, who had left that summer (at 31) to Bayern München. He ended up only playing a meagre 11 games.