- Apr 8, 2025
- 400
- 441
- AFL Club
- Sydney
Top 10 of all time, in order - and before folk start shaking their heads or mouthing WTF? these are players who some are unarguably up there for best of all time and players who when I watched just stuck out for me.
Messi - freak. No one comes close, imo. He started out as a winger which is probably the easiest position to spot when someone is not playing well, but any time I seen him early in his career he didn't really - albeit playing in one of the best sides of all time. Dribbling, vision, goals, set-pieces, heading, balance......I don't think he had a weakness in his game while playing in Europe.
Zidane - absolute shit at the start of his career, hyped up for Euro '96, but as soon as he moved to Juventus & beyond he was unbelievable.
Baresi - I love watching defenders and it's a position no one likes to play in any sport, but he was the definition of grit and determination. Could play out from the back and got better the older he got.
Cafu - the 1st time I seen a wing back and probably along with Roberto Carlos and Andy Brehemer was more an attacking threat from full back. He could defend as well. His runs, dribbling and pace were, even back then, ahead of his time for a player in that position.
Ronaldo - Just an incredible finisher. Shame injuries affected him but made such an impression when he was at his peak. Turning defenders inside out for fun, outpaced anyone over 15 yards and a very clever player timing his runs behind defences.
Cristiano Ronaldo - amazing player. I rate him almost more because of the pressure he was under when he signed for United and could have easily crumbled over the career he has had, which like Zidane, maybe a lot of people would not have foreseen.
Maradona - a poor man's Messi, but that is a compliment. I only watched him near the end of his career and that's why I have him low down on the list, but he still left an impression that he was an incredible player when watching him. Like Messi, a tough little ****er, who got back up and took his kicks.
Maldini - amazing one on one marker. I don't recall him ever getting bested, but I haven't watched him play every game, but that was what stuck out to me. Versatile, strong, could use both feet and the epitome of a professional to play for as long as he did.
Barnes - 1st player I watched that stuck out to me that no other player could do what he does. We got to watch a lot of Liverpool games live in the 80s and 90s and he just was levels ahead of the rest in a brilliant Liverpool team which I hated. A pick based on probably me being brainwashed by how good I thought he was.
Keane - never seen a better on field coach than him or influential leader - I hate that term, but it's true of him. He was obsessively wired about winning, not just games, but a throw in, a corner, small things like that and he could play as well. Very much a team player but put in one of the best individual performances for United against Juventus in the CL semi final in '99 and carried an average Ireland team to the World Cup in 2002. Was fortunate to watch him play live against Portugal in one of the qualifiers and he was everywhere and could see the rest of our team vibe off his performance and play above themselves, especially against them and the Dutch, and the other big teams in different qualifiers.
Messi - freak. No one comes close, imo. He started out as a winger which is probably the easiest position to spot when someone is not playing well, but any time I seen him early in his career he didn't really - albeit playing in one of the best sides of all time. Dribbling, vision, goals, set-pieces, heading, balance......I don't think he had a weakness in his game while playing in Europe.
Zidane - absolute shit at the start of his career, hyped up for Euro '96, but as soon as he moved to Juventus & beyond he was unbelievable.
Baresi - I love watching defenders and it's a position no one likes to play in any sport, but he was the definition of grit and determination. Could play out from the back and got better the older he got.
Cafu - the 1st time I seen a wing back and probably along with Roberto Carlos and Andy Brehemer was more an attacking threat from full back. He could defend as well. His runs, dribbling and pace were, even back then, ahead of his time for a player in that position.
Ronaldo - Just an incredible finisher. Shame injuries affected him but made such an impression when he was at his peak. Turning defenders inside out for fun, outpaced anyone over 15 yards and a very clever player timing his runs behind defences.
Cristiano Ronaldo - amazing player. I rate him almost more because of the pressure he was under when he signed for United and could have easily crumbled over the career he has had, which like Zidane, maybe a lot of people would not have foreseen.
Maradona - a poor man's Messi, but that is a compliment. I only watched him near the end of his career and that's why I have him low down on the list, but he still left an impression that he was an incredible player when watching him. Like Messi, a tough little ****er, who got back up and took his kicks.
Maldini - amazing one on one marker. I don't recall him ever getting bested, but I haven't watched him play every game, but that was what stuck out to me. Versatile, strong, could use both feet and the epitome of a professional to play for as long as he did.
Barnes - 1st player I watched that stuck out to me that no other player could do what he does. We got to watch a lot of Liverpool games live in the 80s and 90s and he just was levels ahead of the rest in a brilliant Liverpool team which I hated. A pick based on probably me being brainwashed by how good I thought he was.
Keane - never seen a better on field coach than him or influential leader - I hate that term, but it's true of him. He was obsessively wired about winning, not just games, but a throw in, a corner, small things like that and he could play as well. Very much a team player but put in one of the best individual performances for United against Juventus in the CL semi final in '99 and carried an average Ireland team to the World Cup in 2002. Was fortunate to watch him play live against Portugal in one of the qualifiers and he was everywhere and could see the rest of our team vibe off his performance and play above themselves, especially against them and the Dutch, and the other big teams in different qualifiers.
