[Closed] Greatest footballer ever?

Kennyp - I knew Andy Ritchie really well.

Also Got bought a drink by Norman Whiteside,(a long time ago) although I didn't know who he was at the time.

Edit: Whoops I just googled him and the one I knew played for Man Utd. guessing you mean the Scottish one?

Peter Beardsley - great work rate, vision, and immense skills.

I keep thinking of the "jumpers for goalposts" guy from The Fast Show.

[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Charles ]John Charles [/url], Wales's greatest player

Charles' accomplishments with Juventus led to him being voted 'the greatest foreign player ever in Serie A', ahead of Maradona, Michel Platini, Marco Van Basten and Zinedine Zidane - this in 1997, 34 years after his last appearance in the league

Diego Armando Maradona.

Not just for his outrageous individual ability, but as Garry_Lager above says, taking teams like Napoli and Argentina, full of ordinary players, and dragging them to titles with the most unbelievable will to win.

We could fill a page with the names of players with incredible talent who produce amazing things on the pitch, but Maradona's achievements in workaday sides, and on the biggest of stages, sets him apart for me. Wish I'd seen him in the flesh.

Best player I've ever seen in the flesh though was Eric Cantona. When he picked up the ball in the middle of the park, he had a magic ability to make space appear in front of him in a way I've never seen anyone else do - bar el Diego!

Bunnyhop. Yes, I meant the Scottish one. He was a lazy big sod, but could strike a deadball better than pretty much anyone I've ever seen.

Gazza was the best player in the world in 1990-91, after knee injury nowhere near the same. He would have been better than Best otherwise.
Saying that, Best was four levels off Maradona, who was on the same level as Pele. Messi is lined up to join them.
Other great players in the same bracket as Best: Beckenbauer, Zidane, Cruyff, and Van Basten (and probably Rooney). UK has produced two of the world's most clinical strikers ever in Greaves and (the early) Robbie Fowler.

William Ralph (Dixie Dean)

Charles "Charlie" Charles.

Messi . The future
Pele . The past
Ronaldo. The cheat
Di Canio. The truth
Maradona . The God
Beckham. The legend
Giggs . The speed
Cruyff . The turn
Zidane . The nutt
Rooney . The strike
Eric. The eccentric
Moore . The gentleman and how we'd all love football to be remembered!

So... no Derek Riordan then 😕

Saying that, Best was four levels off Maradona, who was on the same level as Pele

He's right you know.

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He's right you know.

😆

it's the wee guy off the coke adverts in the 70s

pi$$ed in a bar in lourdes , one name stands out, duncan edwards ........ night you lot

Martin Keown.

Kevin mcallister

Crawford baptie.

Doesn't John Charles deserve a mention?

World class striker and Centre-back. Quite a feet.

Gary Sprake
Paul Reaney
Terry Cooper
Billy Bremner
Jack Charlton
Norman "bites your leg" Hunter
Peter Lorimer
Alan Clarke
Mick Jones
Johnnie Giles
Eddie Gray

Take your pick

Alternatively.....

John Scales.

i'm amazed Carlton Palmer hasn't been mentioned 😯

Gazza
Beardsley
Shearer
for differing roles can only be a matter of time before the next geordie legend appears on the hallowed turf to challenge Messi who on current form will surpass Pele and Maradonna, but possibly not any of the 3 above 😀

My favourite : [url

but he did do this : [url

le tissier

No idea about [i]ever[/i] but players I've loved to watch (in whole games):

Gazza (probably most of all - esp when young) The sheer fun he seemed to get out of playing was fantastic

Hoddle - unbelievable ball control sometimes

Baresi - for a while he was astonishing. Hard bastard too

Maradonna - (wot they said ^ )

Zidane - totally "ran" club and country teams

Thuram - clever defender

Zola - so bloody clever

Bergkamp - Like Zola, streets ahead in the premiership

Laudrup - (either one, esp M)

and ... Stuart Pearce !

ok, all of the above mentioned are good shouts (with the exeption of shearer, he was a striker who scored a lot of goals in the prem but world class? not a chance, euro 96 he was decent but did we win? er no we didn't whereas maradona would have dragged us over the line on his own as would zidane or best or pele yadda)

ok here's one for a bit of a change... look where he gets the ball and the 30 yard strike flat right along the grass, and he in the end he played for Man City ha ha ha

btw I'm not a fan of any specific prem team

theirry Henry, just a pleasure to watch

him and Dennis Bergkamp, what a strike force....

lol at Simonjf63, and i saw that team play 🙂

One of the greatest goals by one of the [url=

players can be seen here [/url]

not only a genius with the ball, but a gentle man off the field as well, A shame so many teams could only stop him by kicking him out of the game , this meant his career suffered due to far too many injuries.

Oh, and good as he was Bestiie never got a look in when he came up against Speedy Reaney so he doesn't quite make the cut into the list of the greatest ever in my book.

In my book that list would include the likes of :-
[url= http://www.planetworldcup.com/LEGENDS/puskas.html ]Ferenc Puskas [/url]

[url= http://www.football-england.com/tom_finney.html ]Tom Finney[/url]

[url= http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_legends_sir_stanley_matthews.html ]Stanley Matthews[/url]

[url= http://www.360soccer.com/pele/ ]Edson Arantes do Nascimento.[/url]

[url= http://www.expertfootball.com/players/maradona/ ]Maradonna[/url]

Lionel Messi ( imho ) is making his way onto the list but needs the longevity first so in my book doesn't quite qualify as yet, but if he can avoid injury I'm sure he will...

Bobby Charlton could possibly make the list but for me has one obvious flaw which precludes him 😉

Zinedine Zidane could have made the list at one time but for [url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAjWi663kXc ]one incident which to me was far worse than the hand of god thing[/url]

Lionel Messi - Don´t miss him tonight in "El classico" Sky Sports 1.

[url=[IMG] http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/saleem763/DRUNKENDUNCAN.jp g" target="_blank">http://i714.photobucket.com/albums/ww149/saleem763/DRUNKENDUNCAN.jp g"/> [/IMG][/url]NOBODY HAS PUT FORWARD FOR THE BEST MAN MARKING SO HERE'S MY VOTE

Maradonna as a forward.

Winger-probably Giggs in his prime.

Ronaldo-midfield.

Defence-P Maldini.

Keeper-Peter Schimichael

Most Entertaining-Berkamp.

In my primary school-best keeper Me!

No-one has mentioned Stanley Matthews yet...

[quoteepicyclo - Member
No-one has mentioned Stanley Matthews yet...

Apart from me 😉 ^^^ 4 posts above yours

[url= http://www.talkfootball.co.uk/guides/football_legends_sir_stanley_matthews.html ]Stanley Matthews[/url]

John charles to score that many goals in the most defensive football ever known,amazing,could have defended just as well too

Cantona (I think) once said that Pele was the icing on a great cake butMaradona was the cake. But Messi might well prove to be better if he has a great world cup.

But Messi might well prove to be better if he has a great world cup.

Got to get himself through tonight's game first!!! 😉

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Djorkaeff
Okocha
Hierro

Got to get himself through tonight's game first!!!

messi is looking pretty good so far, and yet another quality goal. this boy reminds me of a young muggomagic.

Kingsley 'the cat' Wilson..
exmouth community colleges greatest living goalkeeper...

I'd say Pele because of achievements and longevity. I did see George Best play once at Coventry back in early seventies and the best I saw growing up. Career a bit short though. He tackled back,he was not just an amazing forward and goal scorer.

Messi may surpass both given time.

Often wonder if the Munich aircrash had not happened if Duncan Edwards would have been aptian in '66. He would have been at his park in his mid to late 20's. We'll never know:-(

It's either Ralph Milne or Bob Booker.

Personally, I'll go for Bob, as Blades fans sang 'Ooh ah, Bob Booker', years before it was stolen/adapted for Eric.

Maradona is the best player i have ever seen. Amazing ball control, pace, balance, vision, timing etc