Tommy – Spot on mate and absolutely agree. It’s all about the era you’re born into. My Dad used to tell me about George Best, the greatest he’d ever seen. It was all about Dennis Irwin and Roy Keane back home when i was really just starting to get into football. But i loved Cantona too and that amazing team from the early 90’s. I remember Lee Sharpe being one of my favourite players as well, was gutted when Fergie sold him…to Leeds?!
Keane was my favourite player for a very long time, most of his career really. Irwin was a special player too but Keano was a leader an absolute beast. I don’t ever remember seeing him have an off day. Jamie Redknapp said that Keano was up for it every single week and that’s what made him special above Vieira and Gerrard. He reckons he could tell after about 15 minutes if Vieira or Gerrard were going to have a good game or not. Just when he’d be thinking ‘i wonder if Keano is up for it today’ – he’d get clattered out of nowhere! And for Ireland he just dominated the best in the world, whether it was Zidane or Figo – he just never seemed to lose the personal battle.
I don’t know whether it was his goals, his assists or just his overall ferociousness but Rooney was just brilliant and, i think, will go down as my all-time favourite player – unless someone better comes along. Its a personal thing i guess and a very hard/close call as i have so many favourites from over the years.
Most strikers are either great goal scorers or scorers of great goals – he was both, he had everything. Van Nistlerooy was an amazing poacher, anything in and around the 6 yard box would be a goal. I remember some of Cantona’s goals. His winner in the FA Cup final against Liverpool where he volleyed it through a crowd of players. His iconic chip against Sunderland (correct me if i’m wrong), always remember him having that ability of sliding the ball under the keeper and into the back of the net, loved sending the keeper the wrong way at the penalty spot too. Great feet.
But Rooney could do everything, goals from the half way line, a chip into the corner from 30 yards, that volley against Newcastle, the hat-trick on his debut, destroying AC Milan in the Champions League, countless goals against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea – the amazing bicycle kick against City. So many memories, so many fantastic moments all coming to my mind. And the trophies, wow – what a player, what a winner.
I just don’t think we’ll see the likes of him again. I hope i’m wrong. Cheers.