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If I could pick a football matchday squad...
Goalkeeper:
Paul Bastock (St. Albans City)
A
Boston United legend and all-round nice guy, Paul Bastock appeared between the
sticks for The Pilgrims an incredible 625 times. ‘Bazza’ then went on to play
for sides such as Scarborough, Dagenham & Redbridge and currently, at the
age of 41, is plying his trade in the Conference South with St. Albans City. He
was a calm, collected figure at the back for Boston between 1992 and 2004 and
has been a fan-favourite wherever he has gone. A Lincolnshire legend, he was
voted Boston’s ‘all-time cult hero’ in 2005, a decision that I cannot, and will
not, disagree with.
Centre
back: Lucas Radebe (Retired, ex-Leeds United)
“This
is my hero”, said Nelson Mandela in describing former-South African defender
Lucas Radebe. ‘The Chief’ joined Leeds United in 1994 and was appointed captain
within four years. As skipper, Radebe saw Leeds finish fourth in the Premier
League in 1999 and, the following season, the Whites finished third. A serious
knee injury meant that he missed out on their Champions League run, where they
reached the semi-finals under manager David O’Leary. Radebe’s sheer class at
the back, as well his sterling reputation off the field, has earned him a place
in my Favourite XI.
Centre
back: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)
Alongside
Radebe in my not-so-revolutionary 3-4-3 formation is another former Leeds
United player. Ferdinand is, in my opinion, one of the greatest central
defenders England have ever produced. He’s been at the heart of Manchester
United’s defence since 2002 and has won four Premier League titles, not to
mention the Champions League in 2008. He continues to be one of my favourite
footballers to watch with his composure on the ball and reading of the game.
Although, I do wish he’d learn to stick to 140 characters on Twitter.
Centre
back: Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
“Urgh,
another Manchester United bias team”, I hear you cry. Well, if you play Rio
Ferdinand, you have to play Nemanja Vidic. Right? Probably not, but the big
Serbian’s power in the air, strength in the tackle and attacking threat in the
opposition’s penalty area make him one of the best defenders currently in the
Premier League.
Right
midfielder: David Beckham (LA Galaxy)
Quite
simply my favourite footballer. Ever. I remember going down to the local park
regularly, trying to teach myself how to ‘bend it like Beckham’. I of course
failed miserably, but I won’t hold that against him.
One
of the finest crossers of the ball to ever grace the game, ‘Becks’ has enjoyed
a fabulous career and given me some fantastic memories, both at United and with
England. He continues to be a fine professional and has taken that bold step
(for an Englishman in recent times) to go and play abroad. A phenomenal England
captain, sensational footballer and, from what I can tell, a ruddy good bloke
to boot.
Central
midfield: Zinedine Zidane (Retired, ex-Real Madrid & Juventus)
Without
a doubt, one of the best footballers ever. Zidane won the World Cup in 1998 and
the Champions League in 2002 and it was his technique on the ball that made me
realise that, actually, English players weren’t all they were hyped up to be.
‘Zizou’ has been described as a “magician”, “the greatest of all time” as well
as a “monster”. His record both at club and international level cannot be
argued with and, let’s face it, that headbutt was simply glorious.
Central
midfield: Paul Gascoigne (Retired, ex-Newcastle, Spurs & Boston United)
From
one technically gifted midfielder to another, Paul Gascoigne is the most famous
person I am ever likely to meet. When I say “meet”, I of course mean I stuck my
hand out in his direction after a game down at York Street (the home of Boston
United) and he shook my hand. He may not have actually looked at me but, still,
one of the greatest English footballers, ever, has shaken my hand. Although he
only played a handful of games for Boston it was a great privilege to see him
play. An incredible footballer, it really is sad to see him in the state that
he is in.
Left
midfield: Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
When
a 37-year-old signs a contract extension to enable him to play one more year
for one of the best sides in the world, you know you’ve got something special.
Some say that the Welsh Wizard is overrated but his ability on the ball and his
speed and determination, never mind his loyalty and unbelievable stamina, make
him one of the true greats of world football. His love for the club, as well as
his relatively quiet lifestyle outside of the game, make him a perfect role model
for all young footballers, and some older ones too.
Striker:
Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
From
one excellent role model to a not-so-great one, in recent times anyway. Wayne
Rooney, though, did have a massive impact on me as a child. I remember watching
ITV’s The Premiership whilst I prepared for my Sunday League
match that day.
The
sight of a fresh-faced kid coming on against Arsenal and unleashing a rocket
past David Seaman is etched on my memory. “That’s what I’m going to do today”,
I said to myself. I spent the whole match stood up front, isolated as my team
got hammered 4-0 that day, but Rooney was certainly an inspiration for me and
lot of other kids. I’ve lost a little bit of respect for him in the last year
(in fact, quite a bit of respect) but he’s still an incredible footballer and I
know (read: hope) he’ll get back to his defence-destroying and net-busting self
very soon.
Striker:
Alan Shearer (Retired, ex-Newcastle United)
Another
inspiration for me and a man that I idolised, Alan Shearer was the goalscorer.
I didn’t score many goals in my short time as a ‘footballer’ but when I did I’d
always wheel away and do that celebration. Well, either that celebration or
Robbie Keane’s, but there’s no way he’s getting in my XI. Shearer was a
complete forward, scoring an incredible 379 goals in 733 appearances, and I’m
sure he’d lead my front-line expertly well.
Striker:
Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid)
When
I was around ten years old I asked my parents to get me a Manchester United
shirt. “Do you want Beckham on the back?” my mother said to me. “No, I want
Forlan.” At the time, I came in for rather a lot of stick from mates who simply
didn’t appreciate how good a player Forlan was (I will never forget seeing him
score two goals against Liverpool, making Jerzy Dudek look like a complete
muppet in the process).
I
must have been some sort of footballing genius because now Forlan is regarded
as one of the best strikers in the world. He’s won the Europa League with
Atletico Madrid as well as the European Golden Shoe, twice, most recently in
2008. He was a star at the 2010 World Cup and was named in the ‘All-star team’.
Who’s laughing now, huh?
Substitutes:
Alex
Stepney (Retired, ex-Manchester United)
A
goalkeeper that, I don’t think, is recognised nearly enough, Alex Stepney made
over 400 league appearances for United, keeping 175 clean sheets for the club.
A United legend, he started his career at Tooting & Mitcham United [Terrors
represent! - Ed] in the early-60s and went on to play for Milwall and,
for a short while, Chelsea, before joining United in 1966. Stepney starred in
the European Cup Final in 1968, a game which I will never tire of watching on
DVD.
Paul
McGrath (Retired, ex-Aston Villa)
Formerly
of Manchester United but probably better known for his time with Villa, McGrath
is arguably the best Irish defender ever. His power and composure at the back
were nothing short of incredible and his autobiography is without a doubt the
most interesting, and at times chilling, book I have ever read.
Sami
Hyypiä (Bayer Leverkusen)
I
love a loyal footballer. The Finnish defender spent ten years at Anfield,
during which time he won two FA Cups, the UEFA Cup, the Champions League and
two League Cups. A classy, determined centre back, Hyypiä was a fantastic
servant to the English top flight.
Neil
Redfearn (Retired, ex-Boston United)
He’s
played more than a thousand first team games in a career that has spanned 24
years with clubs such as Bolton Wanderers, Doncaster United and of course
Boston United. He was a goalscoring midfielder and like Bastock was always a
fan-favourite.
Ronaldo
(Retired, ex-Real Madrid, Barcelona, Brazil)
A
few people have already picked Ronaldo in their favourite XIs so there’s not
really much I can say about O Fenômeno that hasn’t already been said. Frankly,
the best striker I have ever seen. The reason he’s on the bench? Ronaldo
guaranteed you goals, and every side needs a super-sub.
This
article was originally published on TwoFootedTackle.
