Goalkeeper, Edwin Van Der Sar – Standing 6’6” tall, Edwin van der Sar was the cool and commanding presence at the back in the hugely successful Man United side of the late noughties. A sweeper-keeper before the term had really been coined, he patrolled the space in and around his box, and was one of […]
Year: 2026
The best (and worst) Belgians ever to play in the Premier League
Goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois – One of the best goalkeepers in the world, Courtois has an exceptional winning record, having won league titles for four clubs in three different countries, and with two Champions League titles to his name. At 6’7” he’s a commanding presence in the box, plucking balls out of the air with aplomb, […]
The best (and worst) Portuguese ever to play in the Premier League
Goalkeeper, Rui Patricio – Capped over 100 times for his country, Patricio was part of the Portuguese ‘take-over’ of Wolves from the mid-2010s. Something of an ‘old school’ keeper, the 6’3” Portuguese was no wannabe outfielder, but was instead an acrobatic shot stopper with great reflexes, who was also strong in one-on-ones with attackers. Wolves […]
The best (and worst) Spaniards ever to play in the Premier League
Goalkeeper, David de Gea – David de Gea arrived in England to play for Man United aged only 20. When he left he was 32. A phenomenal shot-stopper, de Gea was particularly adept at saving with his feet. He was perhaps not the most commanding of his six-yard box, and merely ‘average’ with his distribution, […]
The best (and worst) Frenchmen ever to play in the Premier League
Select a best XI made up of French players in the Premier League
The best and worst of the World Cup – 1998 France
The wonder goal – Michael Owen, England 2-2 Argentina, Round of 16 It was clear from his earliest days that Michael Owen was a very special talent. A prolific scorer at all levels as a junior, he made his debut for Liverpool’s senior team aged only 17 yrs 143 days, a game in which he […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2002 South Korea/Japan
The Saipan incident – Roy Keane and Mick McCarthy It took the Republic of Ireland many, many attempts before they managed to qualify for the World Cup. Indeed, it was 13th time lucky when they finally made it in 1990 under the singular leadership of Jack Charlton. When Charlton led them again to the finals […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2006 Germany
The moment of madness – Zinedine Zidane, Final, 9 July 2006 One of the greatest footballers of all-time, Zinedine Zidane was a midfield playmaker who could do everything. Blessed with immense skill, great vision and a unquenchable desire to win, he dominated the midfield, making every team he played for both dangerous and difficult to […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2010 South Africa
The ghost goal – England 1-4 Germany, Round of 16 Not for the first time in their history, the England team that turned up to World Cup 2010 was less than the sum of their parts. A squad featuring ten players who had or would go on to win 50 caps or more (including four […]
The best and worst of the World Cup – 2014 Brazil
The national catastrophe – Brazil 1-7 Germany, Semi-Final Football is massive across the world but nowhere is it more massive than Brazil. It’s more than a game in Brazil, it’s an integral part of the country’s national identity. In 2014, with the World Cup hosted on home soil, expectations were high that the Canarinho would […]