[Dark Savante]

The Rules

1. The Utd 4-4-2 must be used No exceptions. That means:

---------------GK
---------CB--------CB
RFB----------------------LFB
---------CM------CM
RMF----------------------LMF
----------------S.S
----------CF

We have used other systems in the past, but this is by far the most dominant and gloried so we will all abide by it.

2. No square pegs in round holes! i.e you can't pick Cantona and use him as a DM or out of the positions he actually played.

3. Each player picked needs a profile. For some of the more obscure players a paragraph or so will do, but as this is an educational exercise, it would be good for you to provide as much information as possible to create a clear picture of the player and his career at United.

4. The sticky point of great players who were not at their best here should be addressed. The likes of Veron who came here under massive expectation is the obvious one. It would be too elitist to base this project around only players who were gods here, the list would be very short and we wouldn't be able to create 12 teams of great strength and quality. Players like Veron are acceptable. but, he is obviously not going to hold as much weight as a Best, Charlton or Keane. His abilities as a player and people like him do merit inclusion though. Playing career for United is first and foremost, but players like Veron do merit inclusion.

5. The draft is a one pick per person per round. when we get to the bottom of the list the last person starts the new round and we work it backwards to the top. The order is then continued by the the first drafter back down to the bottom again.

6. There isn't a specific time restriction to your picks, within reason. As all the entrants are regulars on the board we should have this thing moving pretty smoothly. Please do not harass those ahead of you in the draft - give them time to think even if you see them online and not posting a pick. If you know your turn is due and you won't be online, PM someone who you trust and is online so that they can make your pick in your absence.

8. The order of the draft is as follows,

Particpants

Dark Savante
Teso
billy
Grodzilla
johno
sirmanc
stud
benni
ASUCruz
Numquam
ted - reserved spot
howard - reserved spot

---

if ted and howard do not take their spots then they will e available for others to take.

9. please do not post anything but profiles in this thread. The discussion thread can be found here: http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showt...89#post7438189 This thread is intended to be a great united player archive when the teams are finished so no clutter. I thanks ya

I think that covers everything. My pick to start the draft will be along shortly.

[Dark Savante]

PETER BOLESLAV SCHMEICHEL


Born: 18 November 1963 in Gladsaxe, Denmark

Nickname: Peter the Great, The Great Dane, Mr. Clean Sheet.

Position: Goalkeeper.

Caps:
Denmark 129 (1987-2001) / 1 goal

League Games:
Denmark 182 (1984-1991) / 0 goals
England 292 (1991-1999) / 0 goals

European Cup Games:
65 (1986-2000) / 0 goals

International Club Cup Games:
European Champions Cup 42 (1986-1999) / 0 goals
European Cup Winners’ Cup 3 (1992-1995) / 0 goals
UEFA Cup 19 (1987-2000) / 0 goals
European Super-Cup 1 (1992) / 0 goals

Domestic Cup Games:
Danish Cup 27 (1981-1991) / 0 goals
FA Cup 41 (1991-1999) / 0 goals

European Footballer of the Year: 1992 (5th), 1993 (12th), 1997 (8th), 1999 (17th)

English Footballer of the Year: never

Trophies & Tournaments:
World Cup participant: 1998
European Champion: 1992
European Championship participant: 1988, 1996
European Champions’ League winner: 1999
European Super-Cup winner: 1991
Danish Champion: 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991
Danish runner-up: 1989
Danish Cup winner: 1989
Danish Cup beaten finalist: 1988
English Champion: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999
English runner-up: 1992, 1995, 1998
English Cup winner: 1994, 1996, 1999
English Cup finalist: 1994
English League Cup winner: 1992
English League Cup beaten finalist: 1994
English Charity Shield winner: 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
Portuguese Champion: 2000

Schmeichel's United Record
1991-1999

...........Appearances Clean sheets
League ........292..... 130
FA Cup ..........41...... 20
League Cup.....17........ 9
Europe...........42....... 19
Total............392..... 178

United Honours
Honours with United

1999 European Champions League
1999 F.A. Premier League
1999 F.A. Cup
1997 F.A. Premier League
1996 F.A. Cup
1996 F.A. Premier League
1994 F.A. Cup
1994 F.A. Premier League
1993 F.A. Premier League
1992 League Cup


Profile

Schmeichel began his career playing for local team Hvidovre, before earning a move to Danish giants Brondby. He made his international debut in 1987 against Greece, and kept a clean sheet in a 5-0 thrashing. He rose to prominence at the 1988 European Championships where he replaced Troells Rasmussen as Denmark’s number one for the games against W Germany and Italy, but was unable to prevent the Danes crashing out.

When Schmeichel first signed for United in a £500,000 move, they were far from the giants they were to become. Although the European Cup Winners Cup holders, United had not won a title since 1967 and were very much in the shadow of rivals Liverpool. In his first season United finished a close second to Howard Wilkinson’s Leeds in the race to win the last ever first division title. The Premiership was to be more kind.

In 1992 Schmeichel went off to the European Championships with little realistic expectations of success. The Danes had failed to qualify for the tournament and were only drafted in as late replacements for Yugoslavia, a country in the middle of a bitter civil war. To further compound their difficulties the Danes were missing their inspirational playmaker Michael Laudrup. They started in a tough group alongside France, England and hosts and Scandinavian rivals Sweden. In the opening game against England they drew 0-0 before a 1-0 loss to Sweden. The result meant that they had to beat France in their final game to progress. They achieved it in a 2-1 victory thanks to goals from Elstrup and L. Larsen. In the semi finals the Danes faced the favourites Holland who had already topped their group and were looking to retain the trophy they had won 4 years earlier. Henrik Larson put Demark ahead with an early goal before Bergkamp, the star of the tournament pulled one back midway through the first half. The Danes though took the lead again with a second from Larson and almost held out until Frank Rijkaard scored a scrambled goal with just 5 minutes left. Extra-time came and went with no more goals and so a shootout was forced. It was here that Schmeichel made his mark. After exchanging goals Marco Van Basten, probably the world’s best striker stepped up but Schmeichel saved well down low. The Danes, the supposed no-hopers, were into a final against the Germans. Even now very few people gave them a chance against the World Champions, but goals by John Faxe Jensen and Kim Vilfort and two crucial saves before half-time by Schmichel saw off the German threat and brought the Danes their first international trophy.

Schmeichel returned to a United determine to gain revenge for their failure last season, but had to watch as minnows Norwich made the early pace. In response to his team’s lack-lustre form, Alec Ferguson swooped for Leeds’ French attacker Eric Cantona in a £1.2m deal. It was to prove the catalyst for a tremendous United season which saw Schmeichel establish himself as the Premiership’s leading keeper, United conceded just 31 goals in 42 league games, and after seeing off a strong challenge from Aston Villa the side captured their first league title in 26 years.

Having gained a taste for success, United proved to be even stronger the next season, and the league title proved to be something of a procession as they set a new record for the most number of points in a season of 92 (the rule of 3 points for a win was introduced in 1981). However, the cups proved more hazardous. Schmeichel himself was sent off in the FA Cup quarter final against Charlton Athletic, and they were nearly eliminated in the semi-finals by Oldham before being saved by superb Mark Hughes volley. The league cup final saw United line up against Aston Villa, struggling to emulate their superb previous season, as they bid to become the first ever winners of a domestic treble. Sadly for United it was not to be as they went down 3-1 to goals from Dalian Atkinson and two from Dean Saunders. However, the FA Cup final was a different matter as United thrashed Chelsea, a team they had lost to at old Trafford just a couple of months earlier, 4-0 the biggest winning margin since United demolished Brighton in 1983.It was United first ever double and they joined an illustrious club of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Liverpool as the only sides to achieve the feat in the 20th century. Despite being European champions Schmeichel’s Denmark woefully failed to qualify for the World Cup of 1994 in the USA, finshing 3rd behind Spain and Ireland.

The next season was a bitterly disappointing one, as United narrowly missed out on both the league title and the FA Cup. In the league the Reds went into the last day of the season second behind Kenny Dalglish’ free-spending Blackburn Rovers, needing to beat West Ham and hoping that rivals Liverpool could hold Blackburn at Anfield. Liverpool duly obliged by beating Blackburn, but United could not respond and only managed to draw 1-1 with West Ham. The FA Cup was seen as the perfect antidote to United’s woes but they were beaten 1-0 by Everton in a shock result at Wembley with Paul Rideout scoring the only goal of the game. Schmeichel could do nothing, he found himself in limbo after Graham Stuart’s shot had rebounded off the underside of the bar. It had been an excellent season for Schmeichel as United conceded just 28 league goals, and it was certainly not the Dane to blame for their failure to collect any silverware.

The following season saw major changes at United with established stars Paul Ince, Mark Hughes and Andriy Kancheskis all departing, and the side looking towards youth as they sought to recapture their pre-eminence of the English game. Despite being written off in some quarters, United rose to the challenge and completed an historic second double, the first club to do so, coming from 12 points down in January to beat Newcastle to the title. In the Cup final it was Cantona again who managed to steer the ball though a sea of bodies to defeat Liverpool and win yet another FA Cup for United.

In the summer of 1996 Schmeichel remained in England as he aimed to retain the European Championship with Denmark. The Danes were fortunate to avoid all the heavy hitters and were instead placed in a relatively easy group alongside dark horses Croatia and Portugal, and no-hopers Turkey. The opening game against Portugal resulted in a 1-1 draw, but it was the second against Croatia that was ultimately to decide the group. In the event it was a poor day for Schmeichel as he suffered the ignominy of being chipped by Davor Suker, a goal to rival that of Paul Gascoigne against Scotland for the best of the tournament, and almost being caught out from the halfway line by Suker again. In fairness the game was an illustration of Suker’s place as one of the world’s finest forwards much more than of any faults in the game of the giant Danish keeper. The final game was largely immaterial with Denmark requiring a Portuguese defeat and a heavy victory over Turkey. Although they beat the Turks 3-0 it was not enough as the Portuguese won the final game comfortably by the same score line.

United comfortably retained the title in the 1996/7 season, but lost out the following year as Arsenal completed the double.

The 1998/9 season proved to be the finest of Schmeichel’s career and the greatest in the illustrious history of Manchester United.

The league season was one full of twists and turns as United and Arsenal duelled to be champions. In the end it went to the last day of the season, with United knowing that victory at home to Spurs would guarantee the title. Yet shockingly Spurs went 1-0 up through Les Ferdinand to the disappointment of both sets of fans. United though were able to fight back and eventually won the game with a superb goal by David Beckham.

The FA Cup proved to more hazardous and it was again Arsenal that offered the greatest opposition. Having made it past Liverpool, Fulham and Chelsea, United drew 0-0 to set up a replay at Villa Park. United took the lead through David Beckham after a superb throw out from Schmeichel, but Arsenal hit back with an excellent Dennis Bergkamp equaliser. Roy Keane was then sent off for arguing with the referee, before Phil Neville conceded a penalty in the dying moments of the game. Bergkamp stepped up, but Schmeichel made a great save down low to his left to deny the Dutchman. In extra-time Ryan Giggs intercepted a stray Vieira pass and beat the entire Arsenal team to score perhaps the greatest FA Cup goal ever and put united into yet another FA Cup final. The final itself could not live up to the semi, and was something of a stroll for united as they beat Newcastle 2-0.

In the Champions League United were drawn in a group with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Brondby. It was a tough group and many questioned Schmeichel’s age and abilities after a number of errors, most notably against Bayern. However, United managed to progress after drawing twice with both Barca and Bayern and two wins against Brondby. In the quarter finals United played Internazionale, and managed to win through, thanks in no small part to a superb save from Schmeichel to deny Ivan Zamorano. The semi-finals pitted United against Juventus, who were aiming to reach a fourth successive CL final, and so be the first team since Real Madrid to do so. The first leg ended 0-0, meaning that everything rested on the return match at the Delle Alpi. United got off to the worst possible start conceding two early goals, one of which reared up over Schmeichel’s head from a deflected Inzaghi shot. To make matters worse Roy Keane United’s inspirational captain was booked for a tackle on Zidane and so ruled himself out of the final in the unlikely event that United could get there. What followed was an incredible performance, from United, most notably Keane, as they came from 2 down to win 3-2 and secure a match with FC Bayern in a repeat of their group encounters.

The Nou Camp in Barcelona, Europe largest stadium, was the perfect setting for what proved to be an unforgettable final. In the sixth minute Ronny Johnsen fouled Jancker and conceded a freekick around 25 yards from the United box. Mario Basler stepped up, and slotted the ball tamely to Schmeichel’s left. It was a soft goal for Schmeichel to concede in his final United game. Bayern continued to dominate the game, twice hitting the woodwork, before Alec Ferguson made two bold changes to try and alter the course of the game. With seconds remaining Schmeichel was sent up for a late corner, it didn’t fall to him but to Ryan Giggs whose shot was turned in by the waiting Teddy Sheringham. Having dramatically levelled the game, United won another corner which was flicked on by Sheringham and steered home by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Bayern had been hit by the most cruel twist to a CL final and United had won an historic treble. In his last game at Manchester United Schmeichel lifted the Champions League trophy and the image of him cart-wheeling in delight is one that will endure for years to come.

Schmeichel left United for two years in Portugal where he won a league title with Sporting Lisbon before making a surprise return to the Premiership with Aston Villa. He stayed there a season before ending his career at Manchester City on their return to the Premiership. His final professional game coincided with City’s last ever game at Maine Road, and both were emotional farewells.

Schmeichel now works as a pundit for the BBC and writes for the Sunday Times, his son Kasper is a goalkeeper for Manchester City.

Schmeichel stands as one of the truly great goalkeepers, not just of the modern era, but of any era. His command of his defence was second to none, and for a big man was exceptionally athletic. The difficulties Manchester United have had in replacing him, are testament to the Great Dane’s phenomenal ability.


League Statistics per Season

Season - Club - Games – Goals
1981......Gladsaxe-Hero...............III. Division
1982......Gladsaxe-Hero...............IV. Division
1983......Gladsaxe-Hero...............IV. Division
1984......Hvidovre IF..................30 / 00
1985......Hvidovre IF..................30 / 00
1986......Hvidovre IF..................II. Division
1987......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00
1988......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00
1989......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00
1990......Bröndby IF..................26 / 00
1991......Bröndby IF..................18 / 00
1991/92 Manchester United........40 / 00
1992/93 Manchester United........42 / 00
1993/94 Manchester United........40 / 00
1994/95 Manchester United........32 / 00
1995/96 Manchester United........36 / 00
1996/97 Manchester United........36 / 00
1997/98 Manchester United........32 / 00
1998/99 Manchester United........34 / 00
2000/03 Aston Villa & Man City...


European Cup games

Season - Club - Games – Goals
1986/87 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00
1987/88 Bröndby IF..............EC III......04 / 00
1988/89 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00
1989/90 Bröndby IF..............EC I........02 / 00
1990/91 Bröndby IF..............EC III......10 / 00
1991/92 Manchester United....EC III.....03 / 00
1992/93 Manchester United....EC II......01 / 00
1993/94 Manchester United....EC I.......04 / 00
1994/95 Manchester United....EC I.......03 / 00
1995/96 Manchester United....EC II......02 / 00
1996/97 Manchester United....EC I.......09 / 00
1997/98 Manchester United....EC I.......07 / 00
1998/99 Manchester United....EC I.......13 / 00
1999/00 Sporting Lisboa.........EC III.....02 / 00

profile courtesy of comme.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

----------------------------------
SIR ROBERT "BOBBY" CHARLTON
Born: 11.10.1937, Ashington, England
Position: Midfielder/Inside Forward
----------------------------------

Bobby Charlton is without doubt one of the most famous English players of all time. His name is synonymous with some of the greatest moments in the English game, but also with the highest traditions of sportsmanship and integrity. Bobby using his pace out of midfield and with a thunderous shot, scored some of the most spectacular goals English football has ever seen. He was signed by Manchester United when aged 17. As one of the "Busby Babes" to survive the Munich air disaster, he teamed up with Denis Law and George Best in the 1960s to produce some of United's greatest ever football.

Charlton remained faithful to United and in his time there from 1956-73, he won the league championship three times, the FA Cup once and the European Cup once. Benfica was beaten 4-1 in a memorable final in 1968 at Wembley. All in all Charlton played more than 750 games for Manchester United and scored 247 goals in all competitions. He was also voted "European Footballer of the Year" in 1966. The same year England hosted and won the World Cup for their first and so far only time.

Charlton was instrumental in England's triumph. After a poor start against Uruguay, England beat France and Mexico. Charlton scored a stunning goal against the Central Americans. Then Argentina and Portugal were eliminated in the knock-out stages, with Charlton scoring both England's goals in the 2-1 win over Portugal. In a memorable final England beat West Germany after extra time. Charlton retired from international football when England were defeated by West Germany four years later in Mexico in the quarterfinals. Charlton played 106 times for England - a record at that time - and scored 49 goals, which is still a record in English football.

This text is a modification of the Planet World Cup article on Bobby Charlton.

NATIONAL TEAM STATISTICS

England NT overall record*
1958-1970
Matches played: 106 (61-23-22)
Goals scored: 49

* NT statistics courtesy of RSSSF

CAREER SUMMARY**

League Games:
England 607 (1956-1973) / 197 goals

Domestic Cup Games:
English Cup, 67 (1957-1973) / 20 goals

European Cup Games:
46 (1956-1969) / 22 goals

European Footballer of the Year:
1960 (7th), 1961 (10th), 1963 (8th), 1965 (5th), 1966 (winner), 1967 (2nd), 1968 (2nd)

English Footballer of the Year:
1966 (Sport Writers “Footballer of the Year”), 1973 (Professional Football Association`s “Footballer of the Year”)

Trophies & Tournaments:
World Cup winner : 1966
World Cup participation: 1958*, 1962, 1966, 1970
European Championship: 1968 (3rd)
European Champions Cup-Winner: 1968
European Champions Cup finalist: -
European Cup Winners Cup: -
European Cup Winners Cup-finalist: -
UEFA/Fairs-Cup Finalist: -
World Club Cup winner: -
English Champion: 1957, 1965, 1967
English runner-up: 1959, 1964, 1968
English Cup winner: 1963
English Cup finalist: 1957, 1958
Top League Goal Scorer: never

*did not play

** Career summary by Gregoriak found @ worldcup-history.com


See also articles by:

The International Football Hall of Fame
http://www.ifhof.com/hof/charlton.asp

Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Charlton

Profile supplied by ChaChaFut

[billyireland]

GEORGE BEST

Born: 22 May 1946 in Belfast.

Nickname: El Beatle.

Position: Left wing, right wing.

Caps:
Northern Ireland 37 (1964-1977) / 9 goals

League Games:
England 361 (1963-1974) / 136 goals
Ireland 3 (1975-76) / 0 goals
USA (NASL) 150 (1976-1981) / 56 goals
England II. Division 42 (1976-78) / 8 goals
Scotland II. Division 17 (1980-81) / 3 goals

Domestic Cup Games:
English Cup 47 (1963-1974 & 1976-78) / 21 goals
Scottish Cup 3 (1980-81) / 0 goals

International Cup Games:
Champions’ Cup 21 (1965-1969) / 9 goals
Fairs Cup 11 (1964-65) / 1 goal
Cup Winners’ Cup 2 (1963-64) / 0 goals
Intercontinental Cup 2 (1969) / 0 goals

European Footballer of the Year: 1967 (8th), 1968 (winner), 1969 (6th), 1971 (3rd)

English Footballer of the Year: 1968

Trophies & Tournaments:
World Cup participation: -
European Championship: –
British Champion: 1964
European Champions Cup: 1968
European Champions Cup beaten finalist: -
European Cup Winners Cup: -
European Cup Winners Cup beaten finalist: -
UEFA/Fairs Cup: –
UEFA/Fairs Cup beaten finalist: -
Intercontinental Cup winner: -
English Champion: 1965, 1967
English runner-up: 1964, 1968
English Cup winner: -
English Cup beaten finalist: -
Top League Goal Scorer: 1968

It is unlikely that any player in the history of the game has ever garnered as much attention, opprobrium and adulation as George Best. For the past 40 years he has enthralled the British public as much through his hell-raising off the pitch as his genius on it. However, despite the controversy that has often followed Best there are few that could deny he is among the most talented figures to ever kick a ball.

Best was born on May 22nd 1946 in Belfast and it was not long before his prodigious footballing abilities began to surface. In 1961 he arrived in Manchester, a skinny teenager, seeking footballing fame with a Manchester United side still struggling to cope with the aftermath of the Munich air disaster which had ripped the heart out of the club and killed so many of its leading players. Despite his early homesickness Best stuck it out at United, and made his debut in a league match against West Bromwich Albion in 1963. The following year Best really started to make his mark and was called up to the Northern Ireland squad for whom he made his debut in a game against Wales at Swansea.

In 1965 Manchester United were crowned English champions and the following season entered the European Cup with much expected of the young Best. He was not to disappoint. In the quarter final Manchester United faced Benfica, the side that had so far dominated the decade and still including such talents as Eusebio and Coluna. United annihilated Benfica 8-3 on aggregate, with Best in astonishing form at the Luz. Best had already been given the title of the “5th Beatle” as reference to his film star looks and crowd pleasing abilities. When he stepped off the plane returning from Lisbon that nickname changed to “El Beatle”, as he was christened by the Iberian media. Despite United being eliminated by Partizan Belgrade in the semis Best was truly starting to be noticed throughout Europe for his mesmeric dribbling skills and his superb touch with both feet.

In 1967 United repeated their league success, and went into the 1968 European Cup hoping to match Celtic’s performances of the year before that had seen them become the first British European Champions. United’s trip to the final provided some superb matches, but none could equal a thrilling Wembley final. Who better for Best to face than Benfica, the team that he had destroyed almost single-handedly two years earlier? In a tight game Bobby Charlton put United ahead before Graca levelled with just 9 minutes remaining. With just seconds left the great Eusebio spurned a golden opportunity to win the game for Benfica and the game went to extra-time. It was to be a costly miss, as early in extra-time Best ghosted past two defenders to put United ahead before Kidd and Charlton added further goals against a demoralised Benfica side. It was a fitting end to a great season for Best, he had been top scorer in the league and was later crowned European Player of the Year following his team-mates Denis Law and Bobby Charlton.

Later in the year though Best was to witness the other side of the “Beautiful Game” as United faced Estudiantes of Argentina in the World Club Cup. Although these games were supposed to be a showcase occasion for the sport, little was done to enrich the reputation of either team. The tone was set for the fist match in Buenos Aires by Nobby Stiles the combative United midfielder being described in the programme notes as “brutal, badly intentioned and a bad sportsman”. Given the ignominious exit of Argentina at the WC in England 2 years earlier it was no surprise that the game would be more than little heated. While many United players were kicked from pillar to post, most notably Stiles, Best was showered with missiles thrown by the home fans. United lost the game 1-0 but the score line was largely immaterial. In the return leg Best was dismissed for fighting in another bruising brutal encounter that eventually ended 1-1.

The winning of the European Cup marked a major change at United in Best’s eyes. “For Matt (Busby) and Bobby Charlton, for Bill Foulkes, for Denis Law … they’d done it. And they sat back and you could almost hear the energy and ambition sighing out of the club. It was like being in at the winding up of a company”, Best later said.

In 1969 Busby retired and returned but his presence haunted the club and only served to undermine future managers as the club desperately sought to maintain the hegemony of the English and European game. Best though while troubled by the off field antics could still turn on the style when needed. In 1970 United played Northampton Town in the FA Cup fifth round, and Best scored 6 as United won 8-2.

In the 1971-2 season United started the well and at one point led the league by a massive 8 points, but their form fell away as they finished a disappointing 8th.

The following years saw Best increasingly lose his passion for both United and football, and in 1973-4 he left the club aged just 27. He was subsequently banned by FIFA until he joined Stockport County and the ban was lifted in 1975. He later joined a succession of clubs including Fulham, for whom he scored after 71 seconds of his debut.

The years after the European Cup victory saw Best increasingly live his life more like a rock star than a footballer and his game was the victim. Best’s career after football was no less eventful than his playing days, but it was somewhat less admirable. In 1984 Best was jailed for 12 weeks for drink driving, assaulting a policeman and failing to answer bail.

Best’s cavalier attitude to the game and reputation as one of the 20th century’s greatest playboys has been cemented by a number of now infamous quotes. Choice among them were “They said I had 5 Miss Worlds but it was only 3” and “I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars, the rest I just squandered”. However, while these have endeared him to so many fans over the years, few would deny that they also represent the incredible talent Best, to some extent, squandered. When he won his European Cup Best was just 22 and had the whole world at his feet, he had the opportunity to prove that he was the game’s finest ever exponent as so many in Britain believe. Instead Best’s career had already fallen apart before he had even reached the age at which most players peak. While there is no denying the incredible performances that Best produced in his pomp, there will always be a sense of what might have been.

Best’s renown guarantees that he is never short of work as a pundit and after-dinner speaker and he at present is part of Sky’s Gillette Soccer Saturday team.

Domestic Club Games

Season - Club - Games – Goals – [Caps / Goals]

1963/64 Manchester United............17 / 04 [ 2 / 0 ]
1964/65 Manchester United............41 / 10 [ 7 / 3 ]
1965/66 Manchester United............31 / 09 [ 3 / 0 ]
1966/67 Manchester United............42 / 10 [ 1 / 0 ]
1967/68 Manchester United............41 / 28 [ 1 / 0 ]
1968/69 Manchester United............41 / 18 [ 4 / 1 ]
1969/70 Manchester United............37 / 15 [ 4 / 1 ]
1970/71 Manchester United............40 / 18 [ 6 / 4 ]
1971/72 Manchester United............40 / 18 [ 2 / 0 ]
1972/73 Manchester United............19 / 04 [ 1 / 0 ]
1973/74 Manchester United............12 / 02 [ 1 / 0 ]
1974 ....Dunstable Town FC............Southern League
1975 ....Stockport County FC..........IV. Division
1975/76 Cork Celtic FC...................03 / 00
1976 ....Los Angeles Aztecs.............24 / 15 [ 3 / 0 ]
1976/77 Fulham FC........................II. Division
1977 ....Los Angeles Aztecs.............25 / 13 [ 3 / 0 ]2
1977/78 Fulham FC........................II. Division
1978 ....Fort Lauderdale Strikers......12 / 01
1979 ....Fort Lauderdale Strikers......19 / 02
1980 ....San José Earthquakers........26 / 08
1980-81 Hibernian FC Edinburgh.......II. Division
1981 ....San José Earthquakers........30 / 13
1982-83 Motherwell FC...................II. Division
1983 ....Arbroath Victoria................III. Division
1983 ....AFC Bournemouth...............III. Division
1984 ....Nuneaton Borough FC..........Conference League
1984 ....Tobermore FC....................B-Division


International Club Games

1963/64 Manchester United...ECII.........02 / 00
1964/65 Manchester United...Fairs Cup..11 / 01
1965/66 Manchester United...ECI..........06 / 04
1967/68 Manchester United...ECI..........09 / 03
1968/69 Manchester United...ECI..........06 / 02

*Again, credit to comme for the profile.

[GrodZilla]

Roy Keane...




Early career

Roy Keane first played football for local Cork club Rockmount, before signing for the semi-professional Irish club Cobh Ramblers in 1989. Scouts from Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest took note of his talents and promptly signed him for the sum of £10,000. Keane was quick to impress at Nottingham Forest, making his professional league debut against Liverpool.

In 1991, Keane was a regular in the side, displacing the English international midfield player Steve Hodge, and scored three goals during a run to that season's FA Cup final, which Forest ultimately lost to Tottenham Hotspur. A year later Keane returned to Wembley with Forest for the League Cup final but again finished on the losing side as Manchester United gained a 1-0 win.
[edit]

Manchester United

Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers competed to sign Keane after Nottingham Forest's relegation in 1993. Manchester United were successful, signing Keane for a then-record £3.75m transfer fee. Keane immediately went into the first team, playing in centre-midfield alongside Paul Ince.

After the retirement of Eric Cantona in 1997, Keane became team captain, although he missed most of the 1997-98 season because of a cruciate-ligament injury, caused by an attempt to foul the Leeds United player Alf Inge Haaland. As Keane lay prone on the ground, Haaland stood over Keane, accusing him of feigning injury. United were top of the league at the time, but their form dropped and they finished the season without a trophy. Keane returned, however, to captain the club to an unprecedented treble in 1999 including the FA Premier League, UEFA Champions League and FA Cup. As a recognition for his efforts, Keane was voted PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2000.

In 2001, Keane played against Alf-Inge Haaland for the first time since their clash in 1998, and was sent off for a foul which left Haaland with a serious injury. He subsequently admitted in an autobiography that he intended "to hurt" Haaland. Although Haaland retired from football shortly afterwards, he had previously stated on his website that the cause of this was a recurring problem in his leg, rather than Keane's tackle. Keane was banned for five matches and fined £150,000.

Although he maintains a low profile off the pitch, Keane was involved in several controversial incidents while at Manchester United. In 1995, he was sent off from an FA Cup semi-final for stamping on Gareth Southgate, for which he was suspended for three matches and fined £5,000. In August 2002 he was fined two weeks' wages, £150,000, and suspended for three matches for elbowing Jason McAteer. This caused much anguish in the English press as Keane booked himself in for a hip operation and thus would have missed those three matches anyway.

Keane's trophy haul with Manchester United includes: 7 Premiership titles (1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003), 4 FA Cups (1994, 1996, 1999, 2004), a European Cup (1999 - though Keane missed the final through suspension) and an Intercontinental Cup (1999). On February 5, 2005, Keane scored his 50th goal for Manchester United in a league game against Birmingham City. His appearance in the 2005 FA Cup final (which United lost) was his seventh such game, an all-time record. Keane was also picked on the FIFA 100, a list of the greatest living footballers picked by Pelé.

Keane was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2004 in recognition of his undoubted impact on the English league.
[edit]

Leaving Manchester United

Most recently, his criticism of several of his fellow Manchester United players after an abject 4–1 defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough was deemed too damning and was subsequently pulled from transmission on United's own TV station, MUTV. Keane is thought to have blasted Rio Ferdinand, John O'Shea, Alan Smith, Kieran Richardson and, perhaps most notably, Darren Fletcher. Keane was widely supported by Manchester United fans after the outbursts.

He had announced that he would leave United in the summer of 2006, at the end of his contract with Manchester United. Many people were expecting Keane to fulfill his dream of playing for Celtic when he parted ways with his club of 12 years. He is already training for his UEFA coaching badges. His then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson had said that he wanted Keane to succeed him as manager when he retires. However, in the wake of Keane's tirade against his own teammates, Ferguson had gone coy over Keane's prospects as a manager. In November 2005, Ferguson said "young managers come along and people say this one will be England manager or boss of this club, but two years later they're not there. It's not an easy environment to come into, I wouldn't forecast anything."

Keane unexpectedly left Manchester United on November 18, 2005, during a protracted absence from the team due to injury. He played his last game for Manchester United in September 2005, which was a 0-0 against rivals Liverpool in which he sustained a broken foot. Keane criticised the club's pre-season trip to Portugal, branding it unprofessional — which triggered an argument with assistant coach and one-time Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz. He had already stated his belief that his contract would be the last with the club and the aforementioned MUTV transmission had frosted relations still further. There had also been rumours of Ferguson threatening to strip him of club captaincy for refusing for apologise for his MUTV outburst, although some of the players concerned publicly backed him afterwards.

Manchester United reached an agreement with Roy Keane allowing him to leave the club immediately, and offered him a testimonial in recognition of his 12½ years at Old Trafford. The club also thanked him for his major contribution as a player. On 14 December, the BBC reported that Keane would sign with Celtic, after agreeing to sign a contract in the region of £40,000 per week, and he officially became a Celtic player the following day, although the club denied the wage level reported in the media, with Chief Executive Peter Lawwell stating that Keane would 'fit within the current wage structure' - which is a maximum wage of £22,500 per week [1].
[edit]

International Career

At international level, Keane has represented his country 66 times (as of September 2005). Keane was named Ireland's player of the tournament at the 1994 World Cup in the USA. In 2001, with Roy Keane putting in Man of the Match performances, Ireland went undefeated against international soccer heavyweights Portugal and the Netherlands, famously knocking out the Dutch to qualify for the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea.
[edit]

The Saipan Incident

During the summer of 2002, at a pre-World Cup training camp in Saipan, Keane and Ireland manager Mick McCarthy had a disagreement about the FAI preparations for the World Cup. Keane's dissatisfaction with the Irish preparations first came to light in an interview with Irish Times journalist Tom Humphries. Keane later alleged in his autobiography that he felt the Irish fans were "mocked" by the "lax attitude" the Irish FA took towards the preparations. After a team meeting at which McCarthy accused Keane of feigning injury, Keane is thought to have responded by insulting McCarthy and questioning his abilities as a manager, although Keane denied this in his autobiography. McCarthy decided he had no option but to send Keane home - although Keane himself had first quit the squad before being talked around by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson. Neither during or after the meeting did any other player voice support for Keane, although it's thought that some later conferred their support to him in private. Despite efforts from both the media and prominent Irish politicians, the two were unable to resolve the matter, and Keane missed out on the World Cup and stated that he would not play again for the Republic of Ireland under Mick McCarthy.

The appointment of Brian Kerr as Ireland manager in 2003 eventually led to the controversial return of Keane in the international arena in 2004. He made his International return on May 25, 2004 in a friendly match against Romania at Lansdowne Road. His performances in subsequent matches made him a firm favourite among fans once more. He helped Ireland draw away with France and Switzerland in their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign.

On 14 October 2005, following Ireland's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals in Germany in 2006, Keane announced his retirement from international football.

Bio curtsey of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_keane

[johno]

Ryan Joseph Giggs




born 29 November 1973 in Cardiff, Giggs is a football player also reknowned worldwide as arguably being one of the greatest wingers of all time in the game. Giggs currently plays for Manchester United- where he is the most decorated and one of its longest serving players in history. Giggs had played for the England Schoolboys (which all schoolboys in England are eligible for, regardless of nationality) team, but plays for the Welsh national team as an adult, once holding the Guinness World Record for being the youngest player to ever play for Wales.

Giggs is the most decorated footballer in the history of Manchester United, having won eight Premier League championships (a record he shares with Liverpool's Alan Hansen, Phil Neal and Kenny Dalglish), one Champions League and four FA Cup titles. He has also won the PFA Young Player of the Year award twice, making him the first player to win the award consecutively- a feat matched only by Robbie Fowler that remains unsurpassed till today. Giggs holds other records including being the top all time scorer in the FA Premier League not to play in the position of striker, and interestingly, holds the record for scoring Manchester United's fastest goal (15 secs), set in November 1995 against Southampton.

Giggs had his beginning with Manchester City and was signed as a young 14 year old by the club after being spotted on the streets of Manchester. Giggs' talent was so mercurial that Alex Ferguson literally made it a point to go down to the boy's house, knock on his door and urge him to sign for United instead, waving YTS Scheme forms with the opportunity to turn professional in three years in front of the boy, who grabbed at the chance of a lifetime. The rest is history, as they say.

Indeed, so profound was Giggs' talent, so much so that even the England Under-21 coaches like Lawrie McMenemy ensured a check on whether he was eligible to play for the nation. Contrary to popular opinion, Giggs could not have played for the full England national side. He could only play for the English Schools team because he went to school there. In order to play for the England national team, he would have had to be born in England or have had English parents or grandparents. However, both his parents and all four grandparents are Welsh. Giggs has often been secretly wished for by England supporters as the dream left-sided answer to the problem of the very generation of his - lack of world class left wing talent in England during the 1990s.

A left-sided winger who occasionally plays as a supporting striker for United, Giggs shot to superstardom in Britain in 1992 as one of the most exciting talents in the history of the game when he was just barely 18, and had earned the tag of 'Boy Wonder', and in one description by the tabloids, the 'boy who converted a million innocent teeange hearts into United fans'. He was arguably the first ever teenage soccer poster boy to have garnered such attention last seen since the likes of George Best, a player Giggs was ceaselessly compared to, and who, alongside Bobby Charlton personally went down to United's training sessions at the Cliff specifically to watch Giggs work his magic. Giggs' form in the years ahead was breathakingly scintillating to say the least, earning him the two aforementioned PFA Young Player of the Year awards and admirers continent wide as well as around the world. Even players like Roberto Baggio described Giggs as the most exciting British footballer they'd seen in years.

As an added bonus, Giggs also scored in the marketing department, with the result of his boyish good looks making him a hit with fans and unsurprisingly, a teen icon whom the media tabloids and modelling agencies sought relentlessly, with his fame comparable with the likes of Pop Stars at the time like Take That. In 1994, the BBC described Giggs as "one of the most photographed persons" in Britain. Giggs or 'Giggsy' as he was known, was also hailed as one of the at the time nascent FA Premier League's biggest stars and could oft be found as the picturebook merchandising icon of the league's early years in marketing itself globally (along with Jamie Redknapp and Lee Sharpe) and reforging its image after the hooliganism affected years of the 1980s.

Giggs turned professional in November 1990 and made his League debut against Everton at Old Trafford on 2 March 1991 as a sub for Denis Irwin. In his first full start, Giggs scored his first ever goal in a 1-0 win in the Manchester derby and collected his first piece of silverware in April 1992 as United defeated Nottingham Forest in the League Cup Final after Giggs had set up Brian McClair to score the only goal of the game.By the start of the 1992/1993 season - the first season of the nascent FA Premier League, Giggs made the left-wing position at United his own, and come into light as British football's leading prodigious talent. In the years ahead, Giggs' feats of intricate dribbling patterns weaved to delightfully thrill and enthuse the fans were becoming a hallmark of his game and his terrifyingly electric pace and stupendous skills were also considered by many to be way ahead of his time, earning him previously unoffered opportunities to footballers until they were at least much older and established: like that of hosting his own television show, 'Ryan Giggs' Soccer Skills', a hit with ITV and Granada in 1994. Compounded with an uncanny ability to score wonderful goals and more crucially, play architect to a huge proportion of Manchester United's goals of the 1990s scored by Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes, and later Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, and with a flair unseen in the game in a long time, Giggs was often hailed as 'wizard' or 'genius' by critics and pundits alike, and according to an article in World Soccer by Stephen Thanabalan, alongside Steve McManaman was regarded as leaders of a new breed of creatively crafty new wingers in the English game that was crucial to its new image of dispensing with that of the boring long ball styles of previous generations.
Ryan Giggs in the Champions League in 2000
Enlarge
Ryan Giggs in the Champions League in 2000

The Ryan Giggs chant often heard from the fans during the Manchester United games is as follows,

"Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Running down the wing, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Can do anything, Feared by the Blues, Loved by the Reds, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Giggs." Another chant goes, "Giggs, Giggs will tear you apart, again", adapted from the Joy Division song 'Love will tear us apart'. Giggs was also reknowned for scoring some of the best goals yet seen in the game and always had special celebrations with team-mates like good friends Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis. Strikes of his were constantly in the shortlists of spectacular goals for the season and tended to be memorable, particularly the ones against Queens Park Rangers in 1993, Tottenham Hotspur in 1994, Everton in 1995 and Coventry City in 1996.

By the late 1990s, with the emergence of Giggs' fellow fledgling young colleagues like David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Nicky Butt, Giggs seemed to have been around for ages. Giggs' popularity in the fame and looks' departments gradually dissipated over those years, as he aged significantly, but alas his football skill was still marked genius, and he developed into a more mature senior player by the time United won their record breaking and unprecedented "Treble" in 1999, with Giggs' goals and form in the competitions a major force in the side, as with his contributions United brought down Juventus and other huge continental rivals. It was in this super season that Giggs' scored his finest goal. It came in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal, where his extra-time solo run from the half-way line, dribbling past five players, won the match for his team. Giggs later knocked the ball into the path for Teddy Sheringham to score the equaliser in the UEFA Champions League Final and set United on their way to the treble. Giggs was the left winger in the side when they won the Intercontinental Cup that year as well and Giggs had etched himself into Manchester United's ranks of Legends.
[edit]

The Latter Years

Giggs had seen the team evolve since United's rejuvenation a decade earlier and became the most experienced and senior player at United when Denis Irwin left. According to a BBC Sport article in 2003, "the trajectory of Giggs' United career follows that of the club almost exactly". Giggs' form in the years after the achievements of 1999 were reflective of Manchester United's dominance of the English game up till 2003(when the club won its last FA Premier League title)- with Giggs still relishing his left wing slot, United won the League title four times within those years, and had always made the UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals.

Giggs celebrated his 10-year anniversary at Old Trafford with a testimonial match against Celtic at the start of the 2001/02 campaign, while a year later he bagged his 100th career goal in a draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. In 2003, Giggs missed a clear cut scoring opportunity in an FA Cup game against their biggest rivals of those years, Arsenal, in a match that later gained infamy for the David Beckham and Alex Ferguson break up, but managed to win the FA Cup once more in 2004, making him the only player in history to have won the trophy four times, and finished runners-up twice.
Ryan Giggs in the later years
Enlarge
Ryan Giggs in the later years

Playing in a victory over Liverpool in September 2004 saw Giggs become only the third player to play 600 games for United alongside Sir Bobby Charlton and Bill Foulkes. Giggs was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the English game. During the first half of the 2004-05 season, Giggs was linked in transfer speculation with Newcastle United, a club his best-friend at United, Nicky Butt, had left for. However, no move was made before the transfer window closed on 31 January 2005. In that season, Giggs still managed to churn out a 'masterclass performance' (in the words of Sky Sports commentator Martin Tyler) when given the chance, and together with the old guard of Paul Scholes, looked to be the epitome of the football saying 'form is temporary, but class is permanent'. After that season, Giggs signed a two-year extension with Man United, after chairman David Gill relented on his normal policy of not signing players over 30 to deals longer than one year. The extension, which runs through July 2008, will effectively keep him at Old Trafford for the remainder of his playing career. Giggs has reinvented himself as age caught and still catches on but amazingly still is contributing positively to the Manchester United cause even after all his team-mates like David Beckham and Roy Keane had left the club over the years, playing role model to even the latest batch of talents at the club like Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Giggs is used today as an example, alongside Gary Neville and David Beckham as a model professional for young players with hot tempers, such as Wayne Rooney to follow. This is largely due to his upbringing by United manager Alex Ferguson, who sheltered the player since developing him, and now it remains to be seen whether Giggs outstays his career mentor at the club or vice versa.


Profile courtesy wikipedia

Season-------Team-----------------Games-----Goals
2004-05 Manchester United 32 6
2003-04 Manchester United 33 7
2002-03 Manchester United 36 8
2001-02 Manchester United 25 7
2000-01 Manchester United 31 5
1999-00 Manchester United 30 6
1998-99 Manchester United 24 3
1997-98 Manchester United 29 8
1996-97 Manchester United 26 3
1995-96 Manchester United 33 11
1994-95 Manchester United 29 1
1993-94 Manchester United 38 13
1992-93 Manchester United 41 9
1991-92 Manchester United 38 4
1990-91 Manchester United 2 1

* premiership numbers only

[SirManchester]

FULL NAME: ERIC CANTONA
DATE OF BIRTH: 24TH MAY 1966
POSITION: FORWARD
HEIGHT: 6''2'

APPEARANCES GOALS

LEAGUE 142 64

FA CUP 17 10

LEAGUE CUP 6 1

EUROPE 16 5

TOTAL 181 80

HONOURS WITH UNITED:
1997 F.A. Premier League
1996 F.A. Cup
1996 F.A. Premier League
1994 F.A. Cup [/SIZE]
1994 F.A. Premier League
1993 F.A. Premier League

PROFILE:

Eric Cantona was perhaps the most influential footballer in English footballer of the 1990s. A player of true vision and creativity, worthy of that now, much over-used word, "genius". His passing, innovation and influence was unrivalled, he could split a defence with the sort of pass that only he could create. Eric had an exhilarating array of skills, back-heels, stylish flicks, turns and lobs combined with immaculate ball control and touch.

His shooting from long-range was superb while one-on-one with the goalkeeper, he was ice cool and clinical. If opposing defenders lost concentration for a millisecond, it would be enough for Cantona to punish them and set the Reds on the way to another vital victory. Together with a sometimes unpredictable Gallic temperament, Cantona was a one-man footballing phenomenon.

Cantona was a unique character, a one-off, but Manchester United and Eric was a match made in heaven. When Alex Ferguson stunned everyone in English football with the deal of the decade that aquired him from Leeds, few knew the impact Eric would make. Most United fans thought he was no more than a strengthening of the squad, but a few months later it became clear that Cantona was by far the most important player at Old Trafford. From the moment he walked through the door he realised there was at last the platform he was looking for, huge potential, huge support and a working assumption that only the best is good enough. And Eric Cantona knew he was the best.



THE CATALYST FOR SUCCESS:

He was the final piece of Alex Ferguson's jigsaw in creating a team to end United's 26 year wait for a league title. Within a short while of his arrival, such was his powerful influence that the whole United team revolved around the mercurial Frenchman. With Cantona and United playing the most attractive football of the 90's they not only ended that 26 year wait and went on to do the League and Cup Double in 1994 and 1996 with another Premier League title in 1997.



THE FRENCH REBEL:

Cantona had numerous problems with discipline during his career in France, sendings off and tantrums prevented him making a real impact. Born in Paris, he was brought up in Marseille and made his first-team debut for Auxerre, a local club, in 1983. He signed professional forms for Auxerre in June 1986 and made his full International debut in 1987 against West Germany. After 81 league games and 23 goals for Auxerre he signed in 1988 for French champions Marseille for £2.3 million where he won the League and Cup double in 1989. However, after a row when he angrily threw his shirt to the ground he was loaned to out Bordeaux, before signing for Montpellier, with whom he won the French Cup in 1990. He returned to Marseille again, then was sold for £1 million to Nîmes where he became Captain.

His rebellious behaviour forced him to leave after arguments with managers, referees, and team-mates. In August 1988, he insulted the French national team manager on television and was banned from the national side for a year. After he threw the ball at a referee in while playing for Nîmes he was banned for three matches. In the disciplinary hearing that followed an annoyed Cantona went up to three members of the French FA and shouted "Idiot!" in each of their faces. This led to a two month ban and Eric announced his retirement from football in December 1991, it would be only temporary however. Cantona returned in England and made a low-key return briefly at Sheffield Wednesday before joining Leeds United in February 1992 - in time to make 15 league appearances and help Leeds win the Championship at Manchester United's expense.

He became an idol of the Leeds fans as they sang the terrace chant "Ohh-Ahh-Cantona". Then suddenly in November 1992 after 13 appearances into the new season, he was sensationally transferred to Manchester United for the comparatively small sum of £1.2 million. It was to be one of the biggest bargains in British football history. Cantona inspired United to their first League title for 26 years in 1993 and the following year another title with the FA Cup - to complete the club's first Double. He also won the recognition of his fellow professional's, winning the PFA Player of the Year award in 1994 and had also risen to become Captain of the French National team.




MANCHESTER UNITED'S GREATEST IDOL:

At Leeds, Cantona was an idol, at Manchester United he was a God. Fans worshipped him the like of which Old Trafford had not seen or may ever see. He was hailed as "Eric the King" with the French red, white and blue colours as prevalent at Old Trafford than the normal red, white and black. Even to this day 3 years after his departure fans still sing his name. No United player has ever had such a relationship with his fans. Eric was a player to be proud of and symbol of a resurgent Manchester United in the 1990s. He encapsulated what United fans think of our club: different, better. Memorable Cantona moments? Well, there are many: A stunning volley against Wimbledon in the FA Cup 5th Round 1994, his pair of penalty kicks that sunk Chelsea in the Cup Final of the same year, a brilliant chip against Sheffield United in the 3rd Round the following year. Then there was his individual effort against QPR in October 1993, scoring two goals against Man City in both derbies of the 93-94 season, his crucial winner at Newcastle in March 1996, his superb strike versus Arsenal that same month, his winning goal in the 1996 FA Cup Final, a delicate lob against Sunderland in December 1996.......the list could go on and on.

CONFIDENCE SUPREME:

When Eric was playing you always knew that when it mattered, United would win. Cantona would install in the rest of the team an unbeatable confidence. His presence alone was enough. Footballers need self-belief but Eric Cantona had unfathomable reserves of the stuff. His arrogance had upset colleagues in the past, but at United it only inspired them. Eric really did intimidate opponents and wind-up opposing fans. There was his confident Gallic strut with his chest puffed out, or sometimes he'd stand with hands on hips gesturing like a movie Director. Not forgetting the way his shirt collar was always famously turned up. He was truly fascinating to watch but Cantona was no ordinary footballer. He liked philosophy, poetry, art, drama - this all added to his enigmatic character and reputation.

L'ENFANT TERRIBLE:

In the infamous "Kung-foo kick" Cantona's volatile state of mind led to him attacking an abusive spectator. A court sentence of 120 hours' community service was accompanied by a world-wide ban on Cantona playing football until October 1995. The French FA stripped him of captaincy of the national team and Cantona would never play for his country again. In his absence United lost the League by a point to Blackburn, a title they surely would have won had he not been banned. Cantona's grace in accepting his punishment largely restored his popularity and he was voted the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year for 1996. 1996 was Cantona's greatest year in which as Captain he led United to the Double, almost single-handedly. Scoring a string of vital match winning goals, including the FA Cup-final winner against Liverpool. Cantona also played a vital role in the shaping and teaching of United's young players such as Beckham, Scholes and Giggs.

THE SHOCK RETIREMENT:

In 1996-97 Cantona had a good season but failure to get to the European Cup Final and the emergence of United's young stars led him to suspect his powers were on the wane. In June 1997 after winning the League title he stunned the footballing world and left United fans gutted by announcing his retirement. Eric did not want to be remembered as an ageing player past his best, he wanted to always be remembered at his magnificent prime, a winner. Cantona instead planned to take up a different stage, amazingly, as a film actor. He did however return for one final game in the famous red shirt, playing in the Munich Memorial game in November 1998. A year later Eric returned for Alex Ferguson's Testimonial in which he played with a United legends team alongside Bruce, Pallister, Hughes, Robson and Schmeichel. Even after the Treble winning heroics, Cantona's popularity with the United fans was still as strong as it ever was. The acting career path has so far not been a huge success and Cantona has returned to the game representing France in the shape of professional Beach football - and his superb skills are still very evident. In May 2001 Manchester United announced Cantona would return to Old Trafford in an informal role to coach the youth team and younger players. If it is successful, perhaps he may yet have another role to play in the club's history.

THE LEGEND:

As unexpectedly as he had arrived he was gone. The King had abdicated and his throne was empty. Consequently, Alex Ferguson reshaped his team to play more as a unit and not revolve around Cantona. United never really did replace him, there was no-one like him and no-one would ever be like him. A true great and legend, Eric "The King" Cantona, we will probably never see his like again.

courtesy of manutdzone.com, wikipedia, and fussballdaten.

[Stud83]

When Alex Ferguson paid Oldham Athletic £650,000 for Denis Irwin in 1990 he surely made one of the great transfer bargains in modern football history. Manchester United got eleven years of solid professionalism and reliability from the quiet man from Cork, in return he has amassed a list of honours few will ever equal compare with - 15 major trophies including 7 Premiership titles and 3 FA Cups. Denis began his career at Leeds United before moving to Oldham Athletic.
At Old Trafford in the 1990/91 season, Irwin played at right back but was soon moved to left back the following season with the purchase of Paul Parker. Irwin fitted into the position and that is were he remained for the rest of his career. He soon made the role his own at International level, making his debut for Ireland in 1990 against Morocco and playing in the 1994 World Cup in the USA.

Irwin was a skilful attacking full-back, deloying swerving crosses and clever overlapping runs. He also had one of the most powerful shots in the game and scored some great goals in his time - In 1993 a 25 yarder in the 1-0 win at Coventry, 1994 - his mazy dribble and finish against Wimbledon in the FA Cup 5th round and in 1993 his free-kick against Liverpool at Anfield. In fact, up until the arrival of David Beckham he was United's first choice free-kick taker.

Denis always gave a very solid performance, so much so that he rarely ever had a bad game. Importantly he was always cool-headed on the big occasions. As the 1990's progressed success came to Old Trafford and Irwin quietly went about his business whilst collecting the medals. Even in the 1998-99 season, the onset of advancing years was never noticeable and it was business as usual for Irwin who was consistent and reliable as ever. At 33 Denis was as good, if not better than he'd ever been.

United's inability to find a consistent penalty taker led to him having to take responsibility for 4 of United's 5 penalties that season. His only blemish was his outrageous sending off by Referee Elleray at Anfield, which cost him a place at Wembley FA Cup Final with Newcastle because of suspension. That aside, it was another flawless season topped off with him appearing in the Champions League Final win over Bayern Munich to complete the famous 1999 treble.




The following seasons were more of the same, although Ferguson did rest Irwin for more games than in previous years in place of Mickael Silvestre. In 2000, January Irwin announced his retirement from International football to focus more on United and help prolong his playing days. He also gave the penalty taking duties to Paul Scholes on a number of occasions. Denis had his testimonial against Manchester City and he was made honouree captain for the day by Sir Alex Ferguson on his 500th appearance for United (includes Charity Shields), at Old Trafford against Leicester on St Patrick's Day 2001.
By 2002 aged 36, his advancing years had finally caught up with him and Denis made his final United appearance at Old Trafford on 12th May 2002, where he was again made captain for the day. Unwilling to give up playing just yet, Irwin made a switch in July 2002 to the team he had supported as a boy, 1st Division Wolverhampton Wanderers. And he must have made an impact as Wolves won promotion to the top flight for the first time since 1984.

Reliable and versatile, Denis Irwin has been a regular at club and for the Irish Republic for nearly a decade, the epitome of consistency, turning in solid performance after solid performance. Of Alex Ferguson's victories at United, Irwin has been there for them all except the 1990 FA Cup win. With an awesome list of honours, Irwin's place in United history is secure - he will be a tough act to follow.

Irwin's United Record
1990-2002

Appearances: 499 Goals: 18

Honours with United

2001 F.A. Premier League
2000 F.A. Premier League
1999 Intercontinental Cup
1999 European Champions League
1999 F.A. Cup
1999 F.A. Premier League
1997 F.A. Premier League
1996 F.A. Cup
1996 F.A. Premier League
1994 F.A. Cup
1994 F.A. Premier League
1993 F.A. Premier League
1992 League Cup
1991 European Super Cup
1991 European Cup Winners Cup

Courtesy: manutdzone, wikipedia

[benni...]

I draft Wayne Rooney


Profile:

Full name Wayne Mark Rooney
Nickname(s) Roonaldo
El Blanco Pelé
Shrek
Date of birth 24 October 1985
Place of birth Liverpool, England
Current club Manchester United
Position(s) Forward
Youth club(s)
? –2002 Everton
Professional club(s)*
2002–2004
2004– Everton 67 (15)
Manchester United
57 (22)
National team**
2003– England 18 (9)

Wayne Mark Rooney (born October 24, 1985, Liverpool, Merseyside, England) is widely considered to be one of the leading young talents in world football - in September 2005 he was selected by his fellow professionals as the inaugural FIFPro World Young Player of the Year. He currently plays for Manchester United and the England national football team as a second striker, although the 2005/06 season has seen Rooney playing both centrally and on the left and right flanks. He wears the number 8 shirt for his club, vacated by Nicky Butt, and is generally given the number 9 for his country.

Rooney was brought up in a suburb of eastern Liverpool called Croxteth, where he and his two brothers attended De La Salle School.

Although he has been under an intense media spotlight since first arriving on the scene in 2002, it was not until his performances at the Euro 2004 that he gained a reputation on the world stage, as he spearheaded the English attack, scoring 4 goals - England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson compared his impact to that made by the legendary Brazilian Pelé at a similar age during the 1958 World Cup (this comparison has led to him being nicknamed "El Blanco Pelé" - the white Pelé - by some United fans). Other commentators have compared him to Manchester United legends, Duncan Edwards and Eric Cantona. Comparisons to former Argentine star Diego Maradona are not unknown.

He is currently the youngest player ever to play for the senior England team, making his debut on February 12, 2003, aged 17 years, 111 days. England's youngest ever player previous to this was James F. M. Prinsep of Clapham Rovers, who made his debut almost one and a quarter centuries before, on April 5, 1879, aged 17 years, 253 days. Rooney is also the youngest England scorer ever (17 years, 317 days).

Rooney gained national prominence in October 2002 when he became the youngest* goal scorer in the history of the Premiership at 16 years and 360 days of age, while playing for Everton. His spectacular goal was a last-minute winner against the then-League champions Arsenal that consigned them to their first league defeat in almost a year. Coincidentally, Wayne Rooney also played a huge role in ending Arsenal's record unbeaten run, winning a penalty and scoring the second goal, in Manchester United's 2-0 victory over Arsenal in October 2004 - Arsenal's first Premiership defeat in 50 games. At the end of 2002 he won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Young Personality award.

* This record has since been surpassed twice; firstly by James Milner, aged 16 yrs 357 days, while playing for Leeds on 26 December 2003. secondly by James Vaughan, aged 16 yrs 271 days while playing for Everton on 10 April 2005, making him the youngest Premiership goal scorer to date (Feb 2006).

Personal life
Rooney has rarely been out of the media spotlight since his emergence, and has received criticism for his relationship with fiancée Colleen McLoughlin, who is often featured in the tabloid press for her notorious shopping habits.

Rooney's personal life has also often been marred by accusations from the press surrounding his illicit relationships with mature prostitutes.

Charity work
Rooney has often been involved in raising money for Claire House and Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, and is also noted for his role as ambassador for SOS Children UK. As a member of the Manchester United side, he also takes part in charity and promotional work for UNICEF.

[ASUCruz]

Bryan Robson




Born: 11th Jan 1957

Nickname: Captain Marvel

Position: Central Midfield

Caps:

England 129 (1980-1990) / 26 goals

League Games for United:

England 326 (1982-1994) / 74 goals

European Cup Games:

26 (1986-2000) / 8 goals

Domestic Cup Games For United:

FA Cup 33 (1982-1994) / 10 goals

League Cup (1982-1994) / 5 Goals

Honours with United

1994 F.A. Premier League
1993 F.A. Premier League
1991 European Cup Winners Cup
1990 F.A. Cup
1985 F.A. Cup
1983 F.A. Cup

Profile

In seven years with West Brom Bryan Robson scored 39 goals in 197 league appearances but the pivotal point in his career came after Ron Atkinson left Albion to become manager of Manchester United. Almost immediately Atkinson took Robson to Old Trafford for a record £2 million and the 24 year old, from Chester-le-Street , was a revelation as skipper of his new club.

For many Bryan Robson was the perfect midfielder. He had stamina, aggression and was a fearless tackler but was also able to pass the ball with a shrewdness that belied the physical side to his game. A powerful header of the ball it was probably Bryan`s priceless scoring ability that set him apart. He scored 97 goals for Manchester United in 432 games and for England he netted 26 times, including one hat-trick, against Turkey in 1984-85, as well as a record-setting goal, against France in the 1982 World Cup Finals, after just 27 SECONDS. By the time he retired from international football Bryan was seventh in the list of England`s All-time goalscorers.

Bryan Robson won 90 caps for his country, many as captain, and would surely have topped the 100 mark were it not for the injuries that blighted his career. He had to fight to overcome a dislocated shoulder to lead his country into the 1986 World Cup Finals in Mexico but further damage to the shoulder saw him led off from the opening two games of the group stage, against Portugal and Morocco . But Bryan bounced back to lead his country to the 1990 finals in Italy and he won the last of his 90 caps the following year, ironically, against Turkey .

Before he left Manchester United, in 1994, to become player-manager of Middlesbrough , he led United to their first ever `Double` of league and cup. He departed Old Trafford 12 th in the club`s All-time league appearance table, 345, and 16 th in the list of United`s league goalscorers, with 74.

His impact at `Boro was immediate and he took the club into the Premiership at the first time of asking. But the success wasn`t to last and despite reaching both domestic cup finals in 1996-97 Middlesbrough were relegated and Bryan Robson decided to call time on the career that deservedly saw him dubbed `Captain Marvel`.

Profile taken from

http://www.nationalfootballmuseum.co...ryanrobson.htm