My Dad says (fwiw :-)) that Greaves is hands down the best player he ever saw. I wish I'd seen him play. Good call Andy.

 

My Grandad said the same.... Didn't miss a home match from early 1920's to mid 1980's when he past away, he loved Jimmy.

 

I have always thought that Jimmy must have been amazing as Grandad rarely remembered players at all, as he never kept memorbilia or programs and of course there was no tele when he started going and very little football on TV during his lifetime so he didnt have the access to media opinion and data.

My Grandad said the same.... Didn't miss a home match from early 1920's to mid 1980's when he past away, he loved Jimmy.

 

I have always thought that Jimmy must have been amazing as Grandad rarely remembered players at all, as he never kept memorbilia or programs and of course there was no tele when he started going and very little football on TV during his lifetime so he didnt have the access to media opinion and data.

Read the other day that Greaves has sold his World Cup medal for £50,000. Although he and the others who didn't play in the final weren't awarded medals at the time there was a campaign many years latet for them to receive them. Finally received the medals in 2009. Awarding medals retrospectively applies to players from other countries from 1930 to 1974 when FIFA changed the rules. Didn't know that Alf Ramsey didn't receive a medal in 1966.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/8093891.stm

Easy 50k

Greaves - 57 appearances for England. 44 goals. Puts the Rooney scoring stat for England in perspective :-)

Greaves - 57 appearances for England. 44 goals. Puts the Rooney scoring stat for England in perspective :-)

Indeed, a brilliant record. As was his record at club level. Possibly only Lineker and Fowler have come close to him as England strikers?

Indeed, a brilliant record. As was his record at club level. Possibly only Lineker and Fowler have come close to him as England strikers?

Agreed. I'll check their stats later. Shearer's stats must be good plus Owen's, if compared to the games he played.

I don't want to slate Rooney but, sadly, England haven't achieved much while he's been in the team and we're getting worse...

Wiki says:

Owen - 40 goals in 89 appearances (26 competitive goals);

Fowler - (I was well out here) 7 goals in 26 Intl. appearances;

Shearer - 30 goals in 63 appearances;

If only one of the above (even Robbie) was available for England now.

Wiki says:

Owen - 40 goals in 89 appearances (26 competitive goals);

Fowler - (I was well out here) 7 goals in 26 Intl. appearances;

Shearer - 30 goals in 63 appearances;

If only one of the above (even Robbie) was available for England now.

 

Peter Crouch 22 goals in 42 appearances.... Prolific. 

Jimmy Greaves. Puskas, Platini, George Best, Zico, Socrates, Platini, Cruyff,

 

Ruud Krol Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud Guillit, Marco van Basten, 

 

Lubanski of Poland was some player in the late 60s/mid 70s.

 

Our very own Zola

And Messi so far

My Dad says (fwiw :-)) that Greaves is hands down the best player he ever saw. I wish I'd seen him play. Good call Andy.

 

Mine also says that it was Milos Milutinovic but a pinch of salt and all that Spud!

 

Though Greaves must have been exceptional based on all that I've heard, etc.

Edited November 26, 201411 yr by Teritus

I'll add Roberto Bettega, who missed Italy's 1982 World Cup win through an injury he received when playing for Juventus before the tournament.

John Charles who played for Juventus and Wales and who became a legend over there.

 

My old man would also say Tom Finney and Sir Stanley Matthews too.

George Best

Peter Crouch is still the closest thing England has to Ibrahimovic... which says more about English football than it does about Crouch I suppose.

Andrey Arshavin....

Mario Balotelli *cough*

Seriously, hundreds of great players not from Brazil, Germany, Italy, France and Argentina (and Spain). This question is more apt in undividual sports like tennis or badminton.

George Weah.

Had absolutely zero chance with Liberia though.

Emile Heskey

Ballack, dragged one of the weakest German sides in history to the 2002 final, scoring the only goals in their QF/SF games, only to get suspended and his team to get trounced by Ronny, Dinho, Romario & co in the final without him. Then getting knocked out in 2006 in the semi vs Italy with goals in the 118th/120th minute.

 

Older post to quote, but spot on here. The 2002 German team was very weak in relation to other German sides. Ballack and Kahn were the two individuals that carried Germany as far as they went. Kahn let in only one goal for the entire tournament until the match versus Brasil.

 

I still believe Germany wins the 2006 WC if Frings doesn't get into that scuffle after the win over Argentina in penalties. Frings on the pitch would have made the difference against Italy. Once in the final, against France, I feel Germany would have won in a close match (maybe in pens, just like it was).

 

Unfortunately (for me), that wasn't the way it happened. I would have loved seeing Ballack (and Kahn) lift the trophy at some point in his International career.

Edited March 28, 201511 yr by Arq

Gerrard the great.

Zola

Edited March 28, 201511 yr by the special one

Wrong thread, I'm old :(.

Edited March 31, 201511 yr by Droogba

Peter Cech has no chance

David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Alan Shearer and much more....

Edited August 11, 201510 yr by bonanzaxx

Lord Bendtner!