MY TOP 10 PLAYERS: Ross Redman
Dungannon Swifts’ Ross Redman names his 10 favourite players and the reasons why...
1: DAVID BECKHAM - Being a Manchester United fan, ‘Becks’ was my favourite player. I loved watching him play when I was growing up - and even brought a picture into the barbers to get the curtains like him!
2: RONALDINHO - He was a joy to watch, a naturally gifted player who scored unforgetable goals. I still remember his goal against Chelsea in the Champions League - a toe poke into the corner.
3: LIONEL MESSI - The best player ever - not much else to say on that. G.O.A.T!
4: RONALDO - An unbelievable player - during the 2002 World Cup finals he was unstoppable. Scored every type of goal wearing the best Brazil kit in history and sporting the worst haircut in history. Also, I remember his hat-trick for Real Madrid v United in 2003. Special.
5: Juan Roman Riquelme - A complete magician on the ball playing briefly for Barcelona but most of his career at Villareal. Any young players should check him out on YouTube.
6: Roberto Carlos - The best left-back ever, just ahead of Philipp Lahm, Bixente Lizarazu and Ashley Cole. Didn’t do much defending but was a joy to watch going forward.
7: Zinedine Zidane - Another complete player who could do things with a ball that no-one else could dream. Part of the Real Madrid ‘Galacticos’ but remembered by me for winning France the World Cup in 1998. Unplayable!
8: Paolo Maldini - The best defender there was about when I was growing up. No-one got past (with the ball at least!). Just ahead of Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta but all three knew the real art of defending.
9: Javier Saviola - He was one of my favourite players that burst on to the scene at Barcelona. He was lightning fast and could finish. Was always a first £40m buy in Championship Manager in the early days.
10: Francesco Totti - Another one of the greats. The complete player for Roma who had the creativity and vision to pick any pass possible. A living legend. I knew that he was retiring so bought the missus a trip to Rome so I could watch one of his last games. Got to the Stadio Olimpico...and he wasn’t in the squad!