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Who is your best ever player?

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It’s a debate that splits football fans like few others – who is your club’s best ever player?

Can Cristiano Ronaldo compete with Duncan Edwards? Thierry Henry with Cliff Bastin? John Charles with Ronnie Radford?

In that vein, to mark it's 100th anniversary, the Professional Footballers’ Association has published a list detailing every single league club’s best player ever - as voted for by supporters.

A quick straw poll of the office saw barely a handful agree with the result of the list – and that’s the beauty of it right? With so many to choose from, how do we fans narrow our club’s best players down to just one?

Each club’s best player according to the PFA’s poll is listed below – interestingly with the likes of Alan Shearer and Stan Bowles appearing for more than one club.

But who would you rate as your club’s best player?

And it’s not just at club level the debate rages of course – the argument over who is the best player ever to grace the international stage is as, if not even more, hotly contested.

A book published by ‘headline’ entitled “Greatest Ever Footballers” takes a statistical approach – with interesting results.

The results are based, firstly, on ‘A’ international appearances - and each appearance is awarded points that are weighted by the following criteria:
* Team played for – For example, appearances for more successful countries (Brazil and Argentina for example) count for more than less successful countries. Being in winning teams and progressing further in international competition also weighs heavier.
* More points from competitive matches over friendlies.
* Captaining your country earns more points.
* Appearances as substitute do not count as much as starts.
* Players who score goals, or keepers and defenders that keep clean sheets are awarded extra points.

Secondly, players pick up points when their team – at domestic or international level – achieves honours.

Thirdly, individual honours – such as FIFA World Player of the Year and English Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year – are also counted.

All in all, it produced a list headed by Pele – but in which George Best does not make the top 100, Romario and Luis Figo are ranked above the likes of Diego Maradona, Franz Beckenbauer and Alredo di Stefano, and Iranian frontman Ali Daei is ranked as the 26th best player of all time.

Bobby Charlton is the greatest ever English player, Pat Jennings Northern Ireland’s, Kenny Dalglish Scotland’s and Ryan Giggs is Wales’.

There are far too many issues, players and teams to pick out of the entire book to list here, but why not let us know your thoughts on the world’s best ever player? Or your country’s best ever player? Why not split them up into position? Or into decade?

If you ask me how a certain player is ranked by this book and I can answer, I will try, otherwise – get involved!

THE CLUB-BY-CLUB LIST (according to the PFA)

Accrington StanleyChris Grimshaw
ArsenalThierry Henry
Aston Villa Paul McGrath
Barnet Dougie Freedman
Barnsley Neil Redfearn
Birmingham Trevor Francis
Blackburn RoversAlan Shearer
Blackpool Stanley Matthews
Bolton Wanderers Nat Lofthouse
Boston Utd Paul Bastock
Bournemouth Ted Macdougall
Bradford City Stuart McCall
BrentfordStan Bowles
Brighton Peter Ward
Bristol CityJohn Atyeo
Bristol RoversDevon White
Burnley Jimmy McIlroy
Bury Chris Lucketti
Cambridge Utd Dion Dublin
Cardiff City Phil Dwyer
Carlisle Utd Hugh Mcilmoyle
Charlton AthleticDerek Hales
Chelsea Gianfranco Zola
Cheltenham Town Neil Grayson
Chester City Ian Rush
Chesterfield Ernie Moss
ColchesterKarl Duguid
Coventry City Steve Ogrizovic
CreweDavid Platt
Crystal Palace Ian Wright
DarlingtonAlan Walsh
Derby County Kevin Hector
Doncaster Rovers Alick Jeffrey
Everton Dixie Dean
Exeter Alan Banks
Fulham Johnny Haynes
GillinghamAndy Hessenthaler
Grimsby TownMatt Tees
Halifax Town Paul Stoneman
Hartlepool Utd Wattie Moore
Hereford Ronnie Radford
Huddersfield TownDennis Law
Hull City Ken Wagstaff
Ipswich Town John Wark
KidderminsterKim Casey
Leeds UtdBilly Bremner
Leicester City Steve Walsh
Leyton Orient Lawrie Cunningham
Lincoln City Alan Graver
LiverpoolKenny Dalglish
Luton Town Mick Harford
MacclesfieldSir John Askey
Man CityBert Trautman
Man Utd Duncan Edwards
Mansfield Town Ken Wagstaff
MiddlesbroughJuninho
Millwall Teddy Sheringham
Newcastle Utd Alan Shearer
Northampton Joe Kiernan
Norwich CityKevin Keelan
Nottm ForestStuart Pearce
Notts County Don Masson
Oldham Athletic Bert Lister
Oxford Utd John Aldridge
Peterborough Terry Bly
Plymouth Tommy Tynan
Port ValeRobbie Earle
Portsmouth Jimmy Dickinson
Preston NE Sir Tom Finney
QPRStan Bowles
Reading Robin Friday
Rochdale Reg Jenkins
Rotherham Ronnie Moore
Rushden & Diamonds Paul Underwood
Scunthorpe Utd Jack Brownsword
Sheffield UtdTony Currie
Sheffield Wed Chris Waddle
Shrewsbury Town Arthur Rowley
Southampton Matt Le Tissier
Southend Steve Tilson
Southport Eric Redrobe
StockportLuke Beckett
Stoke City Stanley Matthews
SunderlandCharlie Hurley
Swansea City Ivor Alvchurch
Swindon Don Rogers
Torquay Robin Stubbs
Tottenham Jimmy Greaves
Tranmere Rovers Ian Muir
WalsallAlan Buckley
WatfordJohn Barnes
West Brom Tony Brown
West Ham Bobby Moore
Wigan Athletic Arjen de Zeeuw
Wimbledon Dave Beasant
WolvesSteve Bull
Wrexham Joey Jones
Wycombe W Dave Carroll
Yeovil Town Terry Skiverton
York City Barry Jackson
THE TOP 25 PLAYERS OF ALL TIME (according to 'The Greatest Ever Footballers')
1Pele Brazil
2RonaldoBrazil
3Romario Brazil
4Luis Figo Portugal
5Zinedine Zidane France
6Diego Maradona Argentina
7Lothar Matteus Germany
8Gerd Muller Germany
9Franz Beckenbauer Germany
10Cafu Brazil
11Roberto Carlos Brazil
12Marco van Basten Holland
13Michel Platini France
14Rivaldo Brazil
15Paolo Maldini Italy
16Zico Brazil
17Raul Spain
18Ruud Gullit Holland
19Eusebio Portugal
20Ferenc Puskas Hungary/Spain
21Johan Cruyff Holland
22Alfredo di Stefano Argentina/Spain
23Bobby Charlton England
24Jurgen Klinsmann Germany
25Kenny Dalglish Scotland

Latest 10 comments

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posted Jun 19, 2008

Agreed.ok
Although I have just noticed looking at this article that according to whichever book the results came from; it has Luke Beckett has your greatest ever player!

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comment by Mr_Jinx (U5351385)

posted Jun 19, 2008

Why did it take you all 6 months to think of an answer!!!

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comment by Pisces (U10274403)

posted Jun 19, 2008

I'm told by people whose opinions I respect that names like Stanley Mathews, Tom Finney, Jackie Milburn, Johnny Haynes, Nat Lofthouse, Len Shackleton, Duncan Edwards would all have to be considered.

This question would almost have to apply by decade (ie. 1930s, 40s 50s, 60s, etc. etc.) rather than "best ever".

In fact, if any of you had observed me in the school yard in my prime, the answer would be obvious!

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posted Apr 9, 2009

I am an old fart.. therefore I have to go with Sir Bobby Charlton, just over Sir Stanley Matthews, Charlton had a powerful shot in both feet, the ability to take two or three players out of the game with just a drop of the shoulder and not even touching the ball, an awesome sight to see! One player who could have been the greatest but for a tragic accident and the loss of a leg was Derek Dougan of Sheffield Wednesday, a giant of a man who would score at least 40 goals a season in today's game!!

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posted Apr 14, 2009

Maradona should be number one with Pele number two and perhaps Zidane at three...How are Figo, Ronaldo and Romario above Diego? (No disrespect!)

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posted Apr 14, 2009

Jacques_Humbert - Finally someone who agrees with me!ok

That would be my Top 3 in that order everytime!

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posted Apr 14, 2009

Besty
Pele
John Charles
Cruyf
Platini
Zidane
Di Stefano
Puskas
Denis Law
Duncan Edwards

Just don't expect me to put them in order ok

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posted Apr 16, 2009

Giacinto Fachetti
Giuseppe Meazza
Luiz Suarez
Lothar Matthaeus
Ronaldo (R9)
Javier Zanetti
Zlatan Ibrahimovic

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posted May 8, 2009

well, I've only been going to the Palace regularly since 2000 so i'd have to say Andy Johnson, who single handedly got us up, and almost single handedly kept us up. I'm quite surprised his career hasn't progressed even further than it has since he left...

I think most Palace fans of the older generation would say Wright, Cannon, John Jackson or even Atillio Lombardo, who I remeber being miles too good in my first ever Palace game (97/98 season)

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posted May 9, 2009

Paolo Maldini.

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