Favorite players during childhood

Formative years for me were ages 12-19 so favorite players are ones I watched during that timeframe.

Marco Materazzi, Paolo Montero, Vicente, Joaquin, Juan Carlos Valeron, Diego Tristan, Zinedine Zidane, Jon Dahl Tomasson, Christian Vieri, Andriy Shevchenko, Sergei Rebrov, Damien Duff, Arjen Robben, Robbie Keane, Michael Ballack, Ruben Baraja, David Trezeguet, Roberto Ayala, Juan-Roman Riquelme.

Off the top of my head. Forgetting loads more.

Have a signed Christian Vieri Italy jersey.

He came on to my friend's girlfriend. What a guy.

My 12-19 days would have included these guys, for some reason the very good, maybe slightly underappreciated players have often appealed to be more than the out and out superstars.

Marco Van Basten
Andrei Kanchelskis
Manuel Amoros*
Branco
Tomas Skuhravy
Abel Balbo
Bixente Lizarazu
David Beckham
Savo Milosovic
Davor Suker
Marc Overmars
Raul
Ronald Koeman
Vincenzo Montella
Niall Quinn

*Didn't see much of him, more through looking back at highlights of the 82 & 86 World Cups after he missed the crucial penalty for Marseille in their European Cup final defeat to Red Star Belgrade in 91.

I have faint recollections of moments of Euro 84 and then more so in 86 and the remainder of the 80's. Those were the years that hooked me on football so I'll focus there. And these were the players that will always stick out for me from that generation. I remember Platini and Laudrup from 1984. They both mesmerized me. Then there was Maradona and Zico, the Enzo's - Francescoli and Scifo, Emilio Butragueno, Jesper Olsen, Lothar Matthaus, Darko Pancev, Jean Pierre Papin, Bryan Robson, Baresi and a lot of Dutch players - the Koeman brothers, Rijkaard but most of all Gullit. Ruud Gullit was an obsession. One of the strongest, quickest and most technically complete footballers of that era. Was an absolute beast of a player. I think he would still dominate today's game he was that much ahead of his time.

Oh, and Gary Mackay!

Can't believe I forgot Zvonimir Boban, used love him. And actually Sinisa Mihajlovic too, even though it turns out he's a bit of a looper I'd say.

Think the Italian football on the box ,mid to late 90's was a blessing, Careca, branco, et al......and that Milan team, wow. My favourite player was Franco Baresi, still the best defender I have ever seen.

Talking about cult heroes...

https://www.facebook.com/awaydaybibl...9336772894076/

Ryan Giggs, Peter Schmeichel, Edgar Davids, Paolo Maldini, Zinedine Zidane, Rivaldo, Cafu, Johnny Speak and Tom Mohan were my favourites as a and kid into my teenage years.

Ryan Giggs will always remain a hero though.

Frank O'Neill (Shamrock Rovers), Jack Whitham (Sheff Wed - until he went to Liverpool) and Johnny Fantham (Sheff Wed) and John Giles (which is a bit ironic now).

Foreign (other than UK football) didn't have any impact in the last 1960s/1970s.

I'm thinking of the players I used to pretend to be when I was chasing a ball around the back garden or kicking around with friends. Some of the ones that stuck with me were from very early childhood, I was 5 when Euro 88 played out but some of that late 80's early 90's era had an impact on me.

Keepers: Zenga, Grobbelaar, Bonner, Zubizuretta
Defenders: Maldini, Costacurta, Staunton, McGrath, Lothar Mattheus
Midfielders: Whelan, Barnes, Zidane, McManaman, McAteer, Gullit, Rijkaard, Hagi, Baggio
Forwards: Romario, Van Basten, Aldridge, Rush, Fowler, Les Ferdinand! (I was convinced he was signing for Liverpool every year)

League of Ireland wasn't particularly on my radar growing up but I do remember Tony Sheridan and Paul Osam making an impression.

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Originally Posted by passinginterest

League of Ireland wasn't particularly on my radar growing up but I do remember Tony Sheridan and Paul Osam making an impression.

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Same here actually.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCLYPvOY6s0

Peter Schmeichel. Such a huge inspiration to me when I played in school.

Watched Anderlecht for a time during the eighties where my favourite player, still of all time, was the late Ludo Coeck. Had an unbelievable left peg and scored one of the great Belgian goals which should be on attached link.

Moved to Inter Milan when they were massive but didn't really make it. Was gutted when he died in a car crash at the age of thirty.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5iNWrFfqA0

Not connected at all really but that reminded me of another great goal that's always stuck in my mind. Daniel Prodan, a Romanian international defender, against Rangers in the early Champions League years. Andy Goram was in 'Old Firm form' the same evening and had just made an unbelievable save from a free kick. It was going to take something ridiculously special to beat him, cue Danny...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klueXDO9mjI

He joined Rangers a few years later but never played due to injury.

Barnes won it...he won it from Brock...he's got Beardsley going to his left and STILL Barnes....that's a fabulous individual goal!

If I'm not mistaken Prodan later signed for cash-rich mis 90's Rangers.

Yeah I mentioned that under the video. I remember reading one time that his son is still a big Rangers fan, having been born in Scotland!

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Originally Posted by RedBench

Any of these greats who have sons or brothers who's excelling in football as well?

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Peter Schmeichels son isn't doing so bad for himself.

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Originally Posted by RedBench

Any of these greats who have sons or brothers who's excelling in football as well?

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Don't think so regarding the ones mentioned (bar Schmeichel) but Daley Blind is obviously the son of Danny, who captained Ajax to the Champions League in 1995. Tom Ince doing okay in the Championship and I see former Ipswich hero Jason Dozzell's son scored on his debut at the weekend. Not exactly 'greats' though!

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Originally Posted by RedBench

Any of these greats who have sons or brothers who's excelling in football as well?

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Just so you know...I went to see if Jesper Olsen had any successful progeny and it lead me on a path of footballers who have something named after them, onto a review of the 85/86 First Division season and culminated in me watching a ten minute video of Hearts losing in the last ten minutes to Dundee and therefore losing the Scottish First Div to Celtic when they only needed a point.

What a journey!

I was a huge fan of Jim Beglin. As a kid I loved seeing him attacking from left back. I remembered being gutted when he got injured. I can remember listening to the match on bbc radio when it happened. Would have loved to have seen him and Steve Staunton compete for Liverpool and Ireland.

I used to almost like Arsenal when it was comprised predominantly of Irish players (Jennings, Rice, O'Leary, Nelson, Brady, Stapleton and on occasions John Devine). We'll never see those days again.