One Club Footballers’

With loads of money being thrown in around football, billionaire owners’ playing their very own fantasy league, it seems like we have lost the joy of loyal footballers like Franco Baresi, Matt Le Tissier and Tony Adams plying their trade for a single club all their career. Despite it, there are few dedicated bunch still honouring the pride of their first and only club, but will it be before time that even they move on? Here we look at 11 loyal top professional who have only kissed 1 badge all their professional career, are they not attracting any clubs, or are they not attracted by any other clubs?


Goalkeeper

Iker Casillas

The Spanish shot stopper made his debut for Real Madrid when he was just 16 in the Champions league and by the time he was 19, he was the youngest goalkeeper to win the coveted crown when he helped his side defeat Valencia 3-0. Despite interest from big spending Manchester City recently, Casillas has stated his desire to finish his career at the Bernabau and it will be hard to lure the 28 year old away from Madrid. The agile goalkeeper was also the captain of the Spanish team when they were crowned Champions of Europe in 2008.

Defender

John Terry

JT became ever so close of moving to Manchester City in the summer, but the Chelsea and England captain stayed loyal with the Blues. After the revolution of Roman Abramovich, Terry has enjoyed much success with Chelsea. JT, as he is known as, became the first Chelsea captain in 50 years in 2005 to win the league title. He is also the first captain to lift the FA Cup in the new Wembley in 2007. On top of that, he is the first England captain and first international goalscorer in the new Wembley during their 1-1 draw with Brazil. Other achievements include the PFA Player’s Player of the Year in 2005 and UEFA Champions League Defender of the Year in 2005 and 2008. Despite all this success, it has not all been sweet for JT, in 2008, Terry had the chance to win the Champions League for Chelsea but he slipped while taking his penalty in the shoot out and eventually Man United won it. In that season Chelsea finished second in the League and the Carling Cup aswell. His Chelsea further suffered disappointment the following season when an injury time goal denied them a place in the Champions League Final. Let’s see if JT can now be the first Englishman to lift the World Cup since 1966.



Gary Neville

There is always great pride in a club having a captain from their own city, and Manchester United are lucky to have Gary Neville on board. The United skipper has been known for his passion for the club, and Man City manager Mark Hughes even highlighted it when he said his club needs more players like Neville. Having won 16 medals from 6 different competitions in his Old Trafford career, it’s easy to see why he hasn’t left his boyhood club. Having been in the PFA Team of the Year in 5 different occasions, Neville was once regarded as one of the best full backs in the world. Now 34, the exit to his career does seem very close but he could reflect back on his career with no regrets.

Jamie Carragher

Despite being an Everton fan as a young boy, Carragher has gone on to play more than 400 games for Liverpool. Jamie has been the rock of the Liverpool defence throughout this decade and has been among the best defenders in England. Despite this, he hasn’t been able to cement a place in the Three Lions first 11 and his frustration caused him to retire from international football in 2007. That has certainly been welcoming for Liverpool as their top defender can now concentrate at further building his club career. His excellent display in the 2005/06 season was rewarded with a place in the PFA Team of the Year.


Carles Poyul

The Catalan hard man has played as a goalkeeper, midfielder and a striker as a youngster though he has been a defender all his professional career. After starting of as a right back, on his day, Carles Poyul is one of the best centre backs in the world. After the retirement of Luis Enrique in 2004, Poyul was named club captain and despite many players arriving and departing since then, Puyol has cemented his place at the heart of the Barcelona defence. Having been captain for 2 of Barcelona’s 3 Champions League triumphs, Puyol has certainly stamped his mark in the Nou Camp folklore.



Midfielder

Steven Gerrard

Despite various offers from Chelsea in the past, Liverpool’s charismatic captain has stayed loyal to the club and it now looks like he will end his career at The Kop. Stevie G has been the heart and sole of Liverpool in recent years and dramatic moments like the 2005 Champions League Final and the last minute equalizer against the Hammers in the 2006 FA Cup Final has made him a Liverpool Legend. Voted second in the 100 Players Who Shook The Kop, a poll by Liverpool F.C supporters, life without Gerrard would certainly be unthinkable for Liverpool supporters. Despite having won most of the team honours at club level, the elusive Premier League title is one that Gerrard would like to put his hands on one day and it would certainly put the icing on the cake on a glittering career.





Ryan Giggs

Giggs’ name has been synonymous with success ever since he started his Man Utd career in 1991 at the age of 17. The Welsh wizard has been around long enough to win 11 Premier League titles,4 FA Cups, 3 League Cup and 2 Champions League titles. Despite such a gliterring career, Giggs received his solitary PFA Player of the Year Award only in the 2008/09 season when he yet again led the Red Devils to the title. These achievements alone should be enough to say why Giggsy has devoted his entire playing career with United, though there had been rumours of him leaving in the past. In 2003, rumours surrounded that Giggsy will be moving to Inter Milan in the summer but Sir Alex rubbished those rumours. There was another case in 2005 when Giggs demanded for a new 2 year contract rather than just a year or he leaves, United offered a two year deal and Giggs admitted there was no way he saw himself playing for another club. Despite all the success at club level, Giggs never played in a major international tournament for Wales.


Paul Scholes

Another United old boy not to have left the club since school boy days, Scholes has been crucial to United’s success for the past decade. His vision and thunderous shots has made a menace for the opponents, though his clumsy tackling doesn’t seem to be improving. In 2004, Scholes retired from international football to concentrate on his club career and his decision has paid off as he is still enjoying top flight football at the age of 35. Despite being an asthmatic, Scholes was regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world during the peak of his career and like teammate Ryan Giggs, has won just about everything there is to offer in club football.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi, who hails from the famous Barcelona youth system, has been at the club since 11 and has had a glittering career with the Catalans. Among the highlight of his club career was winning the La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League Treble in 2009. Xavi has also enjoyed success with the Spanish national team, winning Euro 2008 and bagging the player of the tournament award. His excellent form this year was rewarded with a third place finish of the prestigious Ballon d’Or award which was won by his club colleague Lionel Messi. Despite a rather mediocre start to his football career, over the years, Xavi has become among the best players in the world.





Striker

Francesco Totti

The Roma legend has just signed a new contract that will keep him at the club till 2014, and the Italian World Cup winner will be 38 at that time. The Roma captain will now certainly finish his playing days with the Romans, and will join the team’s coaching staff once he hangs up his boots. Totti’s story is certainly one of the best of club loyalties. Despite Roma not achieving as much success as other Italian sides, Totti has not been tempted of leaving the club for better chances of silverware. Despite being in the club during its financial turmoil’s, there has only been one place called home for Francesco Totti.


Raul Gonzalez Blanco

There is many records that comes along when we mention the name Raul Gonzalez Blanco. Among them are the most number of goals in the Champions League, highest number of goals for Spain and Real Madrid and the youngest player to debut for Real Madrid. Despite Real being frequently active in the transfer market, Raul has managed to hold his place in the Real team for the past 15 years or so. Despite winning three Champions League titles and scoring in two finals, Raul has never won the Copa del Rey in his entire career. Though he has been an icon of Real in recent years, Raul has not been selected for the national side since 2006. Raul has not officially retired from international football and Spain’s coach Vicente del Bosque has said there is still a chance of him making the team for the 2010 World Cup despite critics saying the current Spain team looks better without their record goal scorer.

LIV VS MAN UTD: Just another game or was it THE game?

If you’re a football fan and is unaware that Liverpool beat Manchester United last Sunday, you must be living in a cave. That’s how big one of these games are when two of football’s biggest rivals face off. The Reds 2-0 win was certainly a big relief at Anfield as they had lost 4 in a row prior to that. What makes it ever so sweet is that it was against their fiercest rival.

This game was not about life and death for Liverpool, it was more than that. A defeat would mean 5 defeats in a row and the last time that happened Liverpool were relegated! The win not only puts Liverpool’s title credentials back in line, but it also gives great confidence for the team and believe that anything is possible, even without Stevie G. Sunday’s encounter has also brought the best out of Lucas, who has been seen as the spoiled apple in the barrel by Liverpool fans and Yossi Benayoun has shown he is capable of being a significant figure at the kop and march the team forward during the absence of their charismatic captain. An 80% fit Fernando Torres yet again proved he is among the best in the business.

It’s not all doom and gloom for the Red Devils. Last season, despite two defeats to Liverpool, United still grabbed the title despite a little hiccup along the way. There is one stat United’s fans should look at and be relieved. Last season United only gained 5 points from a possible 18 from big four teams and still won the title. Rivals Liverpool had an impressive 14 yet they finished second. Even Arsenal who finished fourth had 9 points. This shows Liverpool have nothing to be excited about Sunday’s win and should concentrate on building on this victory. As for United, a good run of form will be the key to another successful season.

After 3 successive defeats to Liverpool, it makes us think, are United that good of a team? In all three games Nemanja Vidic was sent off, United scored only 2 and conceded 8 and two of the games was without their biggest threat Stevie G starting. Then again, Liverpool only seem to perform when the stakes are high and when there is no need for extra motivation. This can be evident from their excellent form in the Champions League under Rafael Benitez. I am sure Liverpool fans would rather lose to Manchester United and win the league other than vice versa. So can Rafael Benitez be blamed for having a squad with potential and not delivering the coveted league title? As Liverpool and other title rivals drop points unnecessarily against smaller teams, United seem to lose points only in games where we expect them to and win most of the other games. This alone is sufficient to win the league. That’s why there aren’t any alarm bells ringing at Old Trafford after the defeat at Anfield.

After a hard fought victory for Liverpool, let’s see if they could sustain this run and get maximum points against Fulham, Birmingham City, Manchester City and the Merseyside derby away to Everton. While Chelsea face Manchester United and Arsenal in the coming month, it will be an enormous chance for Liverpool to close the gap and reach the pinnacle of the table.

Liverpool’s biggest game of the season, for United it’s just another game.

Could this game be Liverpool’s most important game of the season? Well they have lost 4 in a row, the first time this has happened since 1987 and they are already trailing leaders Manchester United by 6 points. By the end of the game, it could be as high as 9 or as low as 3 points.

When Gerrard and Torres are missing, Liverpool seem like just another mediocre team from the premier league and their bad run of form is an evidence of that. Back to back defeats to Fiorentina, Chelsea, Sunderland and Lyon are not what Rafael Benitez will be hoping for before playing Manchester United. Despite this poor run of form, Rafa can look at last season for some inspiration when a win over their fiercest rivals brought their title credentials back alive though it was to no avail.

With a host of stars from both sides expected to miss this game, much attention will be diverted towards the return of Michael Owen to Anfield, as a Red Devil for the first time. Once a Kop hero, Owen will certain get a cold reception on his return to Merseyside and we can be sure to expect a lot of boos when he touches the ball.

Team news for the Merseysiders go something like this, Gerrard, Torres and Johnson are all doubtful, and not many will go against me saying that they have been Liverpool’s best players so far this campaign. It’s not all well for the champions either, Giggs, Rooney, Fletcher, Park and Evra are all in the treatment table, though Rooney is expected to make it in time for this crunching tie. It’s not going to be easy for the United lads as they will travel to Moscow and will only resume full training on Friday. Liverpool have an extra day of rest having played at home on Tuesday.

After losing both home and away to Liverpool last campaign and conceding 6 goals in the process, United will certainly be looking for revenge and extend their lead at the top of the table. Liverpool’s triumph at Old Trafford last season certainly brought joy to many Liverpool fans around the world. A Liverpool fan that I met even said he was happier than the time Liverpool won the Champions League in 2005. Well seems like winning United 4-1 is even bigger than winning the Champions League!

No matter what the highs and lows for both this sides, one thing is for sure, no so called football pundit or expert will ever be able to guess the outcome of this grueling encounter that features two giants of the English game. Till the next encounter comes along, lets see which red will have the bragging rights.



Just for the fun of it, my prediction is a 2-1 win for the Red Devils.

And if Torres and Gerrard play, it will be a draw.

MY 5 MINUTES OF FAME

Every Tuesday night football fans across Malaysia leave their daily chores, work and their big plate of dinner to catch the ever so entertaining football show FourFourTwo on Astro Supersport. Thanks to HooHa.asia, I became the envy of many football fans in Malaysia, especially the England fans, as I was one of three lucky three lions supporters to appear in the spectacular football show hosted by Jason Dasey and Jay Menon.

As I was there early, a gentleman named Ray was kind enough to bring me to the control room to watch the show. As it was a new experience for me, it was truly a culture shock looking at the expertise of the FourFourTwo crew work their way into producing yet another excellent episode. Though this show is pre-recorded, it only made me think of the difficulties that are actually faced producing a live show.

The guest of the day was Gary Phillips, the former assistant to Frank Farina of the Australian national team and he gave his insights on the World Cup qualifiers. It was a pleasure having a brief chat with him about the prospects of the Socceroos in the coming World Cup after he had completed his segment, though he wasn’t quite pleased to be discussing it with an England fan!

Then finally the time came for the three lions to take over the stage, the other two guest fans along with myself roared on to show our support for England. Despite only getting it right after 5 takes, we could have done this all day long as we were having a good time chatting, and since the topic of discussion was football, there never seemed to be a problem. While doing so the three lions (2 fans and I) were trying to mastermind the art of foosball, we guys didn’t want to look too bad as Jay already seemed to be doing pretty well in that department. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the way Jay Menon handled the show. She was rather relaxed and made it look like a walk in the park, with no scripts or any guidelines whatsoever; it looked like any other conversation with her mates.

When I registered as a HooHa.asia member, the Orange Man said “Joining Hooha will give u lots of benefits.” Well just 10 days after joining I am on FourFourTwo, tomorrow who knows maybe ill be at the World Cup?

ENGLAND'S POTENTIAL FRONT LINE NEXT SUMMER

The international week will be coming very soon and with a place in South Africa already sealed for England, all the attention for the players will be to cement their place in the team. As nine potential players have been short listed for the striking department, lets take a look at which of these strikers might march to South Africa with the three lions.

Wayne Rooney

Ruling out the possibilities of injuries, Wazza should be among the first players to make the team sheet. The 2008 champions league winner has been in the side since 2003 as a 17 year old playing for Everton and has been in the squad ever since. His performance in Euro 2004 showed that he has come to age and is ready for the big stage. Rooney will be desperate to make amends of the sending against Portugal in the last World Cup and lead the three lions to glory.

Jermain Defoe

Defoe has started the season excellently for Spurs and if he nets 20 goals or more for Spurs this campaign, it should also mean a ticket to South Africa with the national team. The former Hammer was unfortunate not to make the team in 2006 due to the surprise inclusion of Theo Walcott by Sven Goran Erikkson rather than him. Defoe will ultimately bring a lot of pace and trickery into the team.

Emile Heskey

Heskey is one player who doesn't need to score regularly but could still make the team. Though he has been criticised for the lack of goals, the former Liverpool man can still bring a lot to the team with his physical presence and is constantly a menace for defenders. His main contribution for England over the years is feeding other players with good goal scoring opportunities. His international career looked to be over until he recaptured his form with Wigan and has proved the critics wrong with his importance to the game. Even with a mediocre season with the Villains, Heskey should make the England due to the combination with Wazza.

Gabriel Agbonlahor

With 2 England caps already under his belt after a run of good form at the start of last season, a more build Agbonlahor has started well once more and all he needs is a good finish to the season to win a place in the England set-up. Even of he misses the trip to South Africa, this lad is seen as the future of the England team and should lead the Three Loins to glory for years to come.

Micheal Owen

Moving to Manchester United might have increased his chances for an England call up but the lack of playing time will certainly not impress Capello. Despite this problem, his instinct in front of goal is priceless and his experience is essential. If he gets on Sir Alex team sheet more often, a place for Owen should be within reach. Should he make it to South Africa, it will be Owen’s fourth straight World Cup and only David Beckham from the current side could match that record.

Peter Crouch

Crouch’s form has increased along with Tottenham’s this season yet he still struggles to make the team at White Hart Lane. His aerial ability has always been the positive side of his game and managers in the past has used him to change the face of the game. This factor will always lie at the back of Capello’s mind when he picks his final squad to South Africa. His record with the three lions has been impressive as well, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances.

Carlton Cole

Carlton Cole has finally made use of his full potential with the Hammers after moving on loan to no less than three clubs during his time with Chelsea. Gianfranco Zola, the Hammers boss and former Chelsea teammate of Cole, has brought the best out of him. His physical presence and pace is a good combination that the likes of Crouch and Defoe don’t possess. Despite this advantage, Cole might still struggle to make the cut as he lacks consistency and fails to perform at major platforms.

Darren Bent

Bent frequently made the team during his time at Charlton but the lack of form during his time in Spurs has seen him fall out of the England set up. With four England caps collected but no goals to show, Bent has recaptured his form after his big move to the Black Cats and his partnership with Kenwyne Jones has so far been a success with Bent netting 7 goals in 8 games. A good season for Bent will push his bid for an England place and be within the eyes of the England gaffer.

Andy Johnson

Probably the biggest outsider for the job, AJ has won 8 England caps but no goals to show. A run of good form and if a few regulars find themselves injured, Johnson might just nick a ticket to South Africa.

Below are my top 9 strikers for the England team. With only 4 or 5 probably making the team, here are my choices in order.

1. Wayne Rooney
2. Jermain Defoe
3. Emile Heskey
4. Peter Crouch
5. Darren Bent
6. Gabriel Agbonlahor
7. Carlton Cole
8. Micheal Owen
9. Andy Johnson

Season predictions

Every season I do my own predictions on the winners and losers of the season. Here are my choices and reasons for it:

BPL:

1) Manchester United

2) Chelsea

3) Liverpool

4) Manchester City

If not for the African Cup of Nations, my choice would be Chelsea, but missing the likes of Essien, Drogba, Kalau and co will be too costly. As for Man Utd that’s just about the time they will surge into a record 4^th title in a row. The choice of Liverpool in 3^rd wouldn’t come as a surprise to much but I feel Man City will nick Arsenal to 4^th place as the current City can attract some superstars in January and further boost their squad. This will work as an advantage as missing Adebayor and Toure won’t be felt as much. Not forgetting City do not have any distraction in Europe this season.

Relegated: Portsmouth

Wolves

Hull City

Portsmouth look really out of shape and I think it will be too late before it is resolved. Wolves just lack the squad for the premier league though there are worse teams that have played there before. As for Hull I am surprised they even survived last season and they don’t seem to get any consistency. Burnley and Birmingham City might survive only because there are worse teams around in the premier league.

FA Cup: Chelsea

Chelsea to win back to back FA Cup’s due to the fact that they will get stronger at the tail end of the season.

Carling Cup: Manchester City

Man City will certainly treat this cup more seriously than their counter parts who are in Europe and this will give them the advantage over the other teams. Mark Hughes will also want to have silverware to show to the wealthy owners.

UEFA Champions League: Chelsea / Inter Milan

The fact that Chelsea have come so close in the past few season will drive them further to win it. With the African players coming back just at the right time, their squad will be boosted and with Ancelotti’s experience, this might be their year in Europe.

As for Inter Milan, I think Jose Mourinho can steal the attention away from Spain and England just like how he did it with Porto in 2004.

UEFA Cup: FC Porto/Atletico Madrid

Both these teams are from the same group in the Champions League along with Chelsea and as it looks like Chelsea will sail through, either one of them risk missing out. Both are strong teams and there is a high chance of the loser in the Champions League winning it.

Writers/PFA Player of the Year: Rooney / Drogba

Players from Man Utd and Chelsea have a good chance as they play consistently week in week out. Rooney though has a better chance as Drogba will be away on international duty on January.

Contenders vs Pretenders part 2

Looking at the history of the premier league, Spurs have always been among the team that Man Utd love playing. Though this time, the Old Trafford team has had some fear in them as Spurs are in red hot form and are looking to keep their 100% record. Many eyebrows were raised when Redknapp opt to start with Crouch, Defoe and Keane but as it turned out he was the one who ended up red faced.

Spurs had a splendid start and playing Crouch did look like a good gamble. Crouch was a menace in the box and Vidic’s sloppy header gave Defoe an excellent chance which he took brilliantly with an overhead kick. Then again, as always, Man Utd came back against Spurs and win it with goals from Giggs, Anderson and Rooney.

This will not discourage Spurs though this is evident that there is still a gap between the big 4 and the others, but for now only Man City look like they will break into it. With Liverpool finding their stride, it’s a matter of time before the big guns cement their place at the top.