Enzo Francescoli

DoB: Nov 12, 1961

PoB: Montevideo, Uruguay

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Montevideo Wanderers, River Plate, Racing Club Paris, Olympique Marseille, Cagliari, Torino

Total appearances/goals: 508/198

Total caps: 73/15

Honours:
4 domestic league titles

1 Copa Libertadores, 1 Supercopa Sudamericana

1 Copa America runner-up medal
3 Copa America: 83, 87, 95; runner-up: 89

South American Footballer of the Year: 84, 95
Top Scorer Argentine League: 85, 86, 94, 96
Argentine League Player of the Year: 85, 95
France Foreign Player of the Year: 90
Chosen for the FIFA 100

Highs:
Had tremendous international success and as his nominations for South American Footballer of the Year attest (spanning in distance an incredible 11 years), spent his entire career at the top of competitive football.

Lows:
Despite praise and success in Europe, never got to play for one of the continent's top teams.
Played in WC86 and 90 but couldn't help Uruguay past the round of 16.

Fabrizio Ravanelli

DoB: Dec 11, 1968

PoB: Perugia, Italy

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Perugia, Avellino, Casertana, Reggiana, Juventus, Middlesbrough, Olympique Marseille, Lazio, Derby County, Dundee United

Total appearances/goals: 522/190

Total caps: 22/8

Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup

1 Champion's League, 1 UEFA Cup

Highs:
He is most fondly remembered in Juventus' dominating mid-90s team, sharing attacking honours with Gianluca Vialli and Alessandro Del Piero, and scoring in the 96 CL final.
Despite not playing regularly, was part of Lazio's historic second championship win in 00.

Lows:
Endured relegations with Middlesbrough and Derby County despite his good performances. His post-Juventus years saw him past his very best.
His international career only spanned 22 games through 4 years, having only been called up for Euro96, which ended up being a terrible tournament for the italians as they were eliminated in the group stage.

Marc Overmars

DoB: Mar 29, 1973

PoB: Emst, Netherlands

Position: Winger

Clubs represented: Go Ahead Eagles, Willem II, Ajax, Arsenal, Barcelona

Total appearances/goals: 401/78

Total caps: 86/17

Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 3 domestic super cups

1 Champions League, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

WC98: 4th place
Euro00 & 04: Semifinalist

Youngest player to reach 50 caps for the Netherlands

Highs:
His years at Ajax and Arsenal were certainly the most successful, with a wealth of titles, both domestic and european.

Lows:
Despite being an impressive performer, was unfortunate to not have won a single trophy in his 4 years at Barcelona, despite being accompanied by a very strong group of players (including Rivaldo, Patrick Kluivert, Philip Cocu and Pep Guardiola).

Cafu

DoB: Jun 7, 1970

PoB: São Paulo, Brazil

Position: Right back

Clubs represented: São Paulo, Zaragoza, Palmeiras, Roma, Milan

Total appearances/goals: 448/16

Total caps: 142/5

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 3 domestic regional titles, 2 domestic super cup

2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Recopa Sudamericana, 1 Copa Conmebol, 1 Supercopa Sudamericana, 2 Intercontinental Cups
1 UEFA Champion's League, 1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup, 1 FIFA Club World Cup

2 World Cups: 94, 02
1 Confederations Cup: 97
2 Copa America: 97, 99

South American Footballer of the Year: 94
Brazilian League Eleven of the Year: 92, 93

Record caps for Brazil: 143
Chosen for the FIFA 100

Highs:
He is one of the few players to have played in 4 World Cup tournaments, as well as the second (since Lotthar Matthäus) to appear in 3 consecutive finals.
He has also won both the Libertadores (twice) and Champions League trophies, having then won the most relevant competitions avaiable either in Europe or his native South America.

Lows:
Hard to pick but his low goal-average stands out.

Mehmet Scholl

DoB: Oct 16, 1970

PoB: Karlsruhe, BRD

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Karlsruher, Bayern Mönchen

Total appearances/goals: 469/117

Total caps: 36/8

Honours:
8 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups, 4 domestic league cups
1 UEFA Champion's League, 1 UEFA Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Euro Cup: 96

Players's Player of the Year: 00
Bayern Mönchen All Time Best Eleven

Highs:
His 15 year tenure at Bayern saw him win 8 league titles, a german record he shares with another former Bayern stalwart, Oliver Kahn. Of these 3 were doubles and of course in 01 the treble with the Champion's League.
He started the Euro 96 final but rather curiously it was his substitute Oliver Bierhoff who went on to score two goals (including a golden goal) and win the man of the match award.

Lows:
Niggling injuries saw him far from the Germany squad, retiring from international play before WC02. This made him one of the most successful german players to have never played in a World Cup.
Injuries are also part of another of his records: he is the most subbed player in Bayern Mönchen history.

Alfonso Pérez

DoB: Sep 26, 1972

PoB: Getafe, Spain

Position: Forward

Clubs represented: Real Madrid, Betis, Barcelona, Marseille

Total appearances/goals: 320/86

Total caps: 38/11

Honours:
1 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups

1 Olympic Gold Medal: 92

Highs:
He was part of Spain's famous team that won the Olympic medal on own turf (some of his team-mates included Josep Guardiola, José Amavisca, Luis Enrique, Santiago Cañizares and Kiko).
He is Betis' icon player of the 90s, breaking goal-scoring records (most in a season in all competitions and most in european competitions in a season) and giving match-winning displays that saw the team consistently in the upper half of the league table.

Lows:
Despite being part of the elite group of players to have played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona, he shone for none.
Internationally, while not always a first option, never made a significant impact, as Spain constantly stalled in the major tournaments.

Lee Sharpe

DoB: May 27, 1971

PoB: Halesowen, England

Position: Winger

Clubs represented: Torquay United, Manchester United, Leeds United, Sampdoria, Bradford City, Portsmouth, Exeter City, Grindavík, Garforth Town

Total appearances/goals: 345/40

Total caps: 8/0

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups, 1 league cup, 4 domestic super cups

1 Cup Winner's Cup, 1 UEFA Super Cup

Highs:
Winning the Cup Winner's Cup (MU's first european title in over 20 years) in 91 as well as the double in 96 would be his greatest achievements. Had a great 8 year run dominating the wings along with Andrei Kanchelskis.

Lows:
Injuries and the rise of Ryan Giggs and David Beckham had him on the way out from Manchester. A series of unsuccessful spells led to his retirement at 32.
Internationally, could never cope with the opposition of John Barnes.

Giuseppe Bergomi

DoB: Dez 22, 1963

PoB: Milan, Italy

Position: Defender

Clubs represented: Internazionale Milan

Total appearances/goals: 519/23

Total caps: 81/6

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic super cup
3 UEFA Cups

World Cup winner: 82; 3rd place: 90

Chosen for the FIFA 100

Highs:
At one time was the record holder for most appearances in an European competition and most Milan derbies played.
His lack of domestic titles as Inter was for years in the shadows of AC Milan and Juventus is complemented by 3 UEFA Cups (a record for both club and player) as well as 82's historic World Cup medal, which he won at 18.

Lows:
Was absent from the international squad for over 6 years before a surprise call-up for World Cup 98.

Егор Титов (Yegor Titov)

DoB: May 29, 1976

PoB: Moscow, Soviet Union

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Spartak Moscow, FC Khimki, Lokomotiv Astana

Total appearances/goals: 360/94

Total caps: 41/7

Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups

Russian Player of the Year: 98, 00

Highs:
Won 6 consecutive league titles with Spartak, a hard feat, by any measure.
He and Дмитрий Лоськов (Dimitri Loskov) are the only players to have won the distinction for Russian Player of the Year twice, being the only Spartak player to do so.

Lows:
Only played in the russian league, turning down an offer from Atletico Madrid in 2002.
Played in WC02, but in no other international tournaments.

Nolberto Solano

DoB: Dec 12, 1974

PoB: Callao, Peru

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Sporting Cristal, Deportivo Municipal, Boca Juniors, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, West Ham United, Larissa, Universitario de Deportes, Leicester City, Hull City

Total appearances/goals: 552/113

Total caps: 95/20

Honours:
4 domestic league titles
1 minor european cup
Libertadores runner up: 97

Peruvian Player of the Year: 92
South American Player of the Year runner-up: 97

Highs:
With Sporting Cristal won 3 titles in a row and reached the final of the Copa Libertadores.
Nevertheless he is more closely associated with Newcastle United, for which he played for 8 non-consecutive seasons.

Lows:
With no major titles to speak of, at club-level or internationally, his is a pretty bare medal rack.
Almost yearly club changes in the twilight years of his career didn't make much of his form.

Dejan Savićević

DoB: Sep 15, 1966

PoB: Titograd, Yugoslavia SFR

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Budućnost Titograd, Red Star Belgrade, A.C. Milan, Rapid Wien

Total appearances/goals: 347/103

Total caps: 56/19

Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
2 UEFA Champion's Leagues, 1 European Super Cup, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Ballon d'Or runner-up: 91

Highs:
Two Champion's Cup peaks, first with Red Star then with Milan. His performance in the 94 final against Barcelona's Dream Team was certainly one to remember, including an assist and a fantastic lob that ended in the back of the net.

Lows:
At Milan often suffered under gaffer Fabio Cappelo's strict defensive tactics, not being part of the starting 11 on a regular basis. The same difficult relationship was also shared with his national team coach Ivica Osim.
While he certainly relished and performed in the big matches, was sometimes accused of complacency in smaller fixtures.
His international career was somewhat hampered by the embargo from UEFA on Yugoslavia due to the civil war. Played in WC90 and WC98, but sparingly.

Erwin Sánchez

DoB: Oct 19, 1969

PoB: Santa Cruz, Bolivia

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Destroyers, Bolívar, Benfica, Estoril, Boavista, Oriente Petrolero

Total appearances/goals: 428/104

Total caps: 57/15

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup

Highs:
Club-wise, his spells at Boavista were the most praised. This was of course highlighted by helping the team win a cup and an unprecedented league title, breaking the portuguese league's usual 3 way parties (Benfica, Porto, Sporting).
Also spurred Bolivia into qualification for WC94, scoring the nation's only goal in the tournament (and, to this date, Bolivia's only World Cup goal in 3 appearances).

Lows:
Despite playing in the same league, never adapted to bigger club Benfica, even though he tried for them in two different stints. This made him look like he could only stand out as the best player in a small team, instead of settling on something bigger.

Elvir Bolić

DoB: Oct 10, 1971

PoB: Zenica, Yugoslavia SFR

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Čelik Zenica, Red Star Belgrade, Galatasaray, Gaziantepspor, Fenerbahçe, Rayo Vallecano,İstanbulspor,Gençlerbirliği, Malatyaspor, NK Rijeka

Total appearances/goals: 462/168

Total caps: 52/22 (for Bosnia & Herzegovina)

Honours:
2 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup

Top goalscorer for Bosnia & Herzegovina

Highs:
Before he defected to Turkey, he managed to play in Red Star's legendary team of 91.
He is most associated with Fenerbahçe, for which he played for 5 seasons and was generally considered one of the finest foreign players in his day.
It was during this time that he scored the famous goal in Fenerbahçe's 1-0 away win at Old Trafford which broke Manchester United's 40 year unbeaten run in home matches in european competitions.

Lows:
Despite playing for one of Turkey's top clubs, only won one league title with them.
Although he did play in a more competitive league, in Spain, he was fighting the relegation battle, rather than challenging for trophies (Rayo's team also had fellow Bosnians Elvir Baljić and Emir Granov).
Bosnia has yet to qualify for an international competition.

Jari Litmanen

DoB: Feb 20, 1971

PoB: Lahti, Finland

Position: Second Striker

Clubs represented: Reipas, HJK, Mypa, Ajax, Barcelona, Liverpool, Lahti, Hansa Rostock, Malmö

Total appearances/goals: 433/172

Total caps: 137/32

Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 4 domestic cups, 1 domestic league cup, 4 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Champion's League, 1 UEFA Cup, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Intercontinental Cup

Finnish Footballer of the Year: 90, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 00
Finnish League Player of the Year: 90
Dutch League Player of the Year: 93
European Footballer of the Year, 3rd place: 95
Dutch League Top Scorer: 94
UEFA Champion's League Top Scorer: 96

Most caps for Finland: 137 games
Most goals for Finland: 32 goals
Ajax Amsterdam overall European Top Scorer: 26 goals

Highs:
His time at Ajax is fondly remembered. Two Champion's League finals in a row (the first won, the second lost), 4 league titles in 7 years, top scoring distinctions as well as being voted the 3rd best player in Europe (behind George Weah and Jürgen Klinsmann).

Lows:
Although he followed manager Louis Van Gaal to Barcelona, his time there was severely hampered with injuries. This unfortunately remained to be the case in his following years in top european football, at Liverpool, Malmö and after returning to Ajax.

Ronnie Whelan

DoB: Sep 25, 1961

PoB: Dublin, Republic of Ireland

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Home Farm, Liverpool, Southend United

Total appearances/goals: 396/54

Total caps: 53/3

Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 3 domestic league cups, 5 domestic super cups
1 UEFA Champion's League, 1 UEFA Super Cup

Highs:
Hard to set apart as Liverpool dominated english and european football during the first years of his career. This included a Charity Shield+League Cup+European Cup treble in 81, a League title+FA Cup double in 86, and 3 League title+League Cup doubles in a row from 82 through 84.

Lows:
Broke down in the 90s due to injuries, although he stayed on until 94. Liverpool of course also broke down during this decade, finishing only 6th in 92 and 93 and 8th in 94.
Internationally played only in Euro 88, which included, nonetheless, a memorable 1-0 win against England.

http://youtu.be/0Sca7Zbsh_U (our apologies for not being imbedded)

Valeri Karpin

DoB: Feb 2, 1969

PoB: Narva, Estonia

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Sport Tallinn, CSKA Moscow, Fakel Voronezh, Spartak Moscow, Real Sociedad, Valencia, Celta Vigo

Total appearances/goals: 552/105

Total caps: 72/17 (for Russia; 1/0 for CIS)

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup
1 minor european cup

Russian Footballer of the Year: 99

Highs:
His years at Spartak had plenty of domestic success. In Spain, he is most remembered at Celta, where he spent 5 seasons, playing alongside russian team-mate Mostovoi. This included 2 finishes in the top 5, as well as an Intertoto Cup and a Spanish Cup final.

Lows:
Apart from the Intertoto, no such other international accomplishments to speak of. For a player of his quality, should have played in higher profile clubs, where that would have been more pheasible.
As part of the russian team, his most notable achievement is having scored the country's first goal after the break-up of the USSR.

http://youtu.be/SBK3Ek_Lyy4 (our apologies for not being imbedded)

Zlatko Zahovič

DoB: Feb 1, 1971

PoB: Maribor, Yugoslavia SFR

Position: Attacking midfielder

Clubs represented: Partizan, Proleter Zrenjanin, Vitória de Guimarães, FC Porto, Olympiacos, Valencia, Benfica

Total appearances/goals: 339/70

Total caps: 80/35 (for Slovenia)

Honours:
6 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups, 2 domestic super cups
Champions League runner up: 01

Record matches for Slovenia
Record goals for Slovenia

Highs:
Historic qualification for Euro 00 and WC 02 finals.
Having played in modest leagues, managed to win a significant number of domestic titles.

Lows:
His was one of the decisive penalties saved by Bayern keeper Oliver Kahn in the 01 CL final shootout.
Was expelled from the team during WC 02 after a row with the national manager. A temperamental player, had a number of other incidents with managers, which must have surely been a hindrance to his potential.

Faustino Asprilla

DoB: Nov 10, 1969

PoB: Tuluá, Colombia

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Cucuta Deportivo, Atlético Nacional, Parma, Newcastle United, Palmeiras, Fluminense, CF Atlante, Universidad de Chile, Estudiantes de La Plata

Total appearances/goals: 330/110

Total caps: 57/20

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 interregional cup, 1 interregional supercup
1 South American Super Cup
1 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 2 UEFA Cups, 1 UEFA Super Cup

Copa America 3rd place: 93, 95

Highs:
His years at Parma brought on a lot of trophies, and all international honours at that. All the above listed, as well as a Cup Winner's Cup runner-up medal in 94. This time also coincided with good performances in the Copa America tournaments.

Lows:
His stint at Newcastle was high profile but riddled with problems.
The World Cup tournaments of 94 and 98 ended in disappointment after very promising qualification rounds. Not even the help of Carlos Valderrama and Freddy Rincón managed to spur Colombia past the first round.

Любослав Пенев (Lyuboslav Penev)

DoB: Aug 31, 1966

PoB: Dobrich, Bulgaria

Position: Forward

Clubs represented: CSKA Sofia, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, SD Compostela, Celta Vigo, Lokomotiv Plovdiv

Total appearances/goals: 432/217

Total caps: 62/13

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups, 1 domestic super cup

Bulgarian footballer of the year: 88

Highs:
Was part of CSKA Sofia's historic team of the late 80s, playing alongside the like of Stoichkov, Kostadinov and Ivanov.
Was also part of Atlético Madrid's double-winning squad of 96, having the team's most efficient strike rate with 22 goals in 44 matches that season.

Lows:
Missed Bulgaria's historic 4th place at WC 94 due to having been diagnosed with testicular cancer earlier that year. Combining this with poor team performances in Euro 96 and WC 98, along with lack of European football, Penev never really had a chance to shine on the brighter stages of the game.

Gary Speed

DoB: Sep 8, 1969

PoB: Mancot, Wales

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Leeds United, Everton, Newcastle United, Bolton Wanderers, Sheffield United

Total appearances/goals: 677/103

Total caps: 85/7

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic super cup, 1 secondary league title

PFA Team of the Year: 93
Premier League 10 Seasons Award: Most Appearances (352)

Highs:
Was part of the Leeds title winning squad of 92, sharing midfield with Gordon Strachan, Gary MacAllister and David Batty.
Up until 07, scored in every Premiership, a feat later beat by countryman Ryan Giggs.
Despite not winning titles with Newcastle it is the club he is most associated with, being part of the squads that included Given, Solano, Dyer, Bellamy, Jenas, Lee and Shearer, mostly under Sir Bobby Robson.

Lows:
A lack of titles and only two seasons of Champions League football, spaced 10 years apart (93 and 03). Both ending in disappointment as well.

علی دایی (Ali Daei)

DoB: Mar 21, 1969

PoB: Ardabil, Iran

Position: Forward

Clubs represented: Esteqlal Ardabil, Taxirani, Bank Tejarat, Persepolis, Al-Sadd, Arminia Bielefeld, Bayern Mönchen, Hertha Berlin, Al Shabab Dubai, Saba Battery, Saipa

Total appearances/goals: 287/112

Total caps: 149/109

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic league cup, 1 domestic super cup
Champions League runner up: 99

Asian Footballer of the Year: 99
WC Asian qualifiers top scorer: 94, 02
MVP Asian qualifiers: 94
Asian Games top scorer: 98
Asian Cup top scorer: 96
West Asian Championships top scorer: 05
Iranian league top scorer: 04

Was the first Asian player to play in the Champions League
He is the only player to have scored over 100 goals for his country

Highs:
Despite having played for a number of teams, there's no doubt that his strongest association is that with his country's shirt, as his records for caps and goals attest.
The spell with Bayern Mönchen was the most high-profile, especially for an asian player at the time, but he was never a first option in the squad.

Lows:
Never won an international competition for either club or country.
Being a bit player in Europe meant a low amount of matches played each season, hampering his goal tally.

Сергей Алейников (Sergei Aleinikov)

DoB: Nov 7, 1961

PoB: Minsk, Soviet Union (Belarus)

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Dinamo Minsk, Juventus, Lecce, Gamba Osaka, IK Oddevold, Corigliano

Total appearances/goals: 397/50

Total caps: 73/6 (4/0 CIS, 4/0 Belarus)

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup
1 UEFA Cup
Euro 88: runner-up

Belarusian Footballer of the Year: 84, 86, 88
UEFA Golden Player

Highs:
Between 88 and 90 reached the final of the Euro (in a memorable Soviet squad with the likes of Dasaev, Belanov and Protasov) and won the UEFA Cup with Juventus.

Lows:
Despite his success only stayed 1 year at Juventus. At the time italian clubs could only have 3 foreign players in their squads and he, countryman Zavarov and portuguese Rui Barros were sold to make way for brazilian skipper Julio César and german midfield maestro Thomas Hässler (who would only stay a year as well).
Being already in his 30s meant no more real progress to his career at this stage.

Milinko Pantić

DoB: Sep 5, 1966

PoB: Loznica, Serbia

Position: Midfielder

Clubs represented: Partizan, Panionios, Atlético Madrid, Le Havre

Total appearances/goals: 347/86

Total caps: 2/0 (for Serbia and Montenegro)

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 2 domestic cups

Highs:
In 96 in his debut season won a famous double with Atletico Madrid. A particular impressive display was the Spanish Cup quarter finals in Barcelona, in which he scored 4 goals.

Lows:
Despite his value, earned only 2 caps for the Yugoslavia, never representing the team in an international tournament.

Νίκος Μαχλάς (Nikos Machlas)

DoB: Jun 16, 1973

PoB: Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: OFI, Vitesse, Ajax, Sevilla, Iraklis Thessaloniki, APOEL

Total appearances/goals: 463/196

Total caps: 61/18

Honours:
2 domestic league titles, 3 domestic cups

Golden Boot: 98

Highs:
After scoring only 8 goals in 29 matches in his debut season at Vitesse, his second season in 98 saw him tally up 34 in 32 matches, earning the coveted Golden Boot.
Won the double with Ajax in 02.

Lows:
Was relegated to the reserves in 03 by manager Ronald Koeman and never again regained his footing.
His only international tournament was WC 94, in which he played 3 games but scored no goals.

Marcel Desailly

DoB: Sep 7, 1968

PoB: Accra, Ghana

Position: Defender, Midfielder

Clubs represented: Nantes, Marseille, A.C. Milan, Chelsea, Al-Gharafa, Qatar S.C.

Total appearances/goals: 611/35

Total caps: 116/3

Honours:
3 domestic titles, 1 domestic cup, 1 domestic super cup
2 UEFA Champions Leagues, 2 UEFA Super Cups
1 World Cup (98), 1 European Cup (00), 2 Confederations Cups (01, 03)

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

Highs:
In 93 and 94 won two Champions League trophies in a row, playing for different clubs (Marseille and Milan). This was the first time such a feat had been accomplished and since then only 3 other players have emulated it.
He also scored in the 94 final.
98 and 00 brought extraordinary success to his adopted nation France, and he was a staple of both of those teams.

Lows:
Only won 2 domestic titles (both Milan) in top european football (the third coming only in Qatar's less demanding league).
A strange lack of individual recognition, possibly due to his defensive position and immigrant status. Otherwise would surely be praised as much as Abedi Pelé as Ghana's greatest gift to football.










Debut at Nantes.................................................Goal in CL final 94...................................................Captaining the Blues

Mo Johnston

DoB: Apr 13, 1963

PoB: Glasgow, Scotland

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Partick Thistle, Watford, Celtic, Nantes, Rangers, Everton, Hearts, Falkirk, Kansas City Wizards

Total appearances/goals: 688/236

Total caps: 38/14

Honours:
4 domestic league titles, 1 domestic cup

He was the second player since WWII to have played for both the Glasgow Celtic and the Glasgow Rangers.

Highs:
Was fairly consistent up until his transfer to Everton in 91. Highlights would be an FA Cup final with Watford and 4 league titles for both Celtic and Rangers, scoring over 10 goals a season.
Managed to win over Rangers fans in an Old Firm derby in 89 as he struck home an injury time winner.

Lows:
Lack of success at the Premiership. Joined Watford after they'd been runners-up but finished mid-table. Later joined Everton as but they were past their prime, which had been in the 80s.
Missed World Cup 86 due to squad disruption claims from caretaker manager Alex Ferguson.

Carlos Gamarra

DoB: Fev 17, 1971

PoB: Yparacai, Paraguay

Position: Centre back

Clubs represented: Cerro Porteño, Independiente, Internacional, Benfica, Corinthians, Atlético Madrid, Flamengo, AEK Athens, Internazionale, Palmeiras, Olímpia

Total appearances/goals: 324/12

Total caps: 110/12

Honours:
3 domestic league titles, 3 regional league titles, 2 domestic cups, 1 interregional cup

1 Olympic Silver Medal: 04
CONMEBOL Best Defender: 98
Named in World Cup 98 All Star Team
Paraguayan Footballer of the year: 97

Highs:
Took part in 3 World Cups. In the first two, played all matches without conceding a foul.
Captained his country to a silver medal in the 04 Olympic games, losing to rivals Argentina in the final.

Lows:
Despite being consistently impressive, never made a mark at his clubs, changing teams often. Relative failures in the most high profile teams: Atletico Madrid ended up relegated, and he played only 27 games in 3 years for Inter.

Radek Bejbl

DoB: Aug 29, 1972

PoB: Nymburk, Czechoslovakia

Position: Anchor midfielder

Clubs represented: Slavia Prague, Atlético Madrid, RC Lens, Rapid Vienna, Slovan Liberec

Total appearances/goals: 435/35

Total caps: 58/3 (2/0 for Czechoslovakia)

Honours:
2 domestic league titles

Euro 96 runner-up
Conferations Cup Bronze medal: 97

Highs:
In 96, while playing for the first time in an international tournament as the Czech Republic, reached the final of the Euro Cup. He was also in the semis of the UEFA Cup with Slavia that year.
His fine displays would ensure him a move to then double winners Atletico Madrid that summer.

Lows:
In 00 Atletico were relegated and he took part in the ensuing exodus, landing at Lens. At 28, it would all be downhill from there, even though he played for 8 more years.



Bodyczeching Guti.................................................For the Republic.....................................Roughing up Favalli

George Weah

DoB: Oct 1, 1966

PoB: Monrovia, Liberia

Position: Striker

Clubs represented: Mighty Barrolle, Invincible Eleven, Tonerre Yaoundé, Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, A.C. Milan, Chelsea, Manchester City, Marseille, Al-Jazira

Total appearances/goals: 409/192

Total caps: 60/22

Honours:
5 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cups, 1 league cup

Ballon d'Or: 95
FIFA World Player: 95
African Footballer of the Year: 89, 94, 95
Champions League Top Scorer: 95
Chosen for the FIFA 100
FIFA Fair Play Award: 96

Highs:
He is the only African player to have won distinctions for best player in the World. The year he won it came after a superb display in the Champions League, where he became top scorer and reached the semi-finals, tumbling at the hands of Milan, which he would join the following year.

Lows:
Never managed to qualify for a World Cup, making him one of the most celebrated players to have never had the honour. Played in CAN 96 and 02 but never made it past the group stage.
Has also never won an international competition at club level.

Philippe Albert

DoB: Aug 10, 1967

PoB: Bouillon, Belgium

Position: Defender

Clubs represented: Charleroi, KV Mechelen/FC Malines, Anderlecht, Newcastle United, Fulham, Charleroi

Total appearances/goals: 325/32

Total caps: 41/5

Honours:
1 domestic league title, 1 domestic cup

Best Belgian player: 92
Best player in Belgian league: 92
Premier League Team of the Year: 96

Highs:
He was a staple of Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United side, combining attacking and defensive responsibilities in the squad. Finishing runners-up in 96 and 97 would be their proudest, if most frustrating, moments.

Lows:
As well as finishing runner up in the league, also lost two FA Cup finals in a row (98 and 99). This lack of titles in a very ambitious team that played free-flowing attacking football was a real shame, and not just for the Geordies.