Hometown Heroes
IN the days where money in football is seemingly king, it often doesn’t seem like loyalty means as much as it used to.
Gone are the days when contracts rule all and it sometimes seems as though they are often not worth the paper they are written on and the way football is going it is uncommon for players to spend the full duration of their agreements at the same club. With less ‘player power’ present in years past here’s a look at some of the players who were valued greatly by their teams after extreme loyalty to the cause.
Alan Shearer
Despite being released by Newcastle as an 11-year-old goalkeeper, the Gosforth-born striker was signed by his hometown club at the age of 26 for a then world record fee of £15million. Shearer, who turned down Manchester United to sign for Newcastle, set about making up for lost time with 25 goals in 31 games.
Despite an injury the following season, Shearer became club captain and led Newcastle to two FA cup finals and helped them to three successful seasons in the Champions League. The England international continued to break records during his time at St James’ Park before his decision to retired in 2006, the same year in which he broke Jackie Milburn’s goal-scoring record.
The BBC pundit’s final goal was against Sunderland, a game in which Shearer suffered a season ending injury, but with 206 goals in 404 games it has already been rumoured that he will be returning to the north-east within a couple of years to take over as the club’s manager.
Matt Le Tissier
It is doubtful that a player with some much ability has ever been overlooked by his national team.
Born in Guernsey, Le Tissier was plucked from the channel island and after a trial with Oxford United, decided to join the Saints in 1986 and went on to become the club’s second highest goal-scorer of all time. Le Tissier was known for his laid back style of play he became the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League and was top scorer in the 1993-94 season, despite the Saints’ struggles at the bottom of the table.
Le Tissier picked up eight caps in his England career and with Southampton scored a total of 162 goals in just over 400 appearances. The midfielder added to his reputation as a club hero by scoring the last official goal at the Dell in a game against Arsenal, this despite being out injured for most of the season. Le Tissier’s skills as a midfielder saw him pick up the goal of the season award in the 1993-4 season and will go down in Southampton folk-law as a scorer of great goals and a great goal scorer.
Ryan Giggs
The most decorated footballer to play in the English Premier League, Ryan Giggs is a player who seems to have been around for longer than many people remember. The former England schoolboy made his first appearance for his only club, Manchester United, in 1990-91 and became a regular since the final year of ‘division one’ in 91-92.
In his years at Old Trafford Giggs has picked up ten league winners medals, four FA cup winners medals, two league cup winners medals and two champions league winners medals in an incredible career at Old Trafford.
The Welsh winger has also captained his country and in 2007-8 broke Bobby Charlton’s appearance record for the Red Devils and in a career which looks to be continuing well into his thirties the midfielder has racked up a total of 771 appearances scoring 146 goals. Although he has never been a prolific goal-scorer despite taking up attacking positions quite frequently for his club, Giggs scored a memorable winning goal for Manchester United in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal which helped them on the day to a treble and as well as scoring the clinching goal in United’s Premiership success in 2008, he is one of few players to appear in every single season of the Premiership and the only player to have scored a goal in ever season since 1992-3.
Robbie Fowler
The fact that Fowler is no longer with the club whose supporters idolise him should not be discounted from the argument that he is considered a legend by fans of Liverpool. The Toxteth-born striker was a fan of Everton since his younger days but when the blue half of Everton stalled in their decision to bring him into their academy, the side at the other half of Stanley Park had no fear about bringing in a player who then became considered as one of the best strikers in the clubs history.
Having signed for the club at the age of 18, Fowler made an impact by scoring a hat trick in only his fifth game with a club, three of what turned out to be 120 on Merseyside with Liverpool. Fowler also picked up 26 England caps in his career and in the 1994-5 season scored the fastest hat-trick to date in just over four minutes, he also picked up the PFA Young player of the year award in two consecutive seasons as he build his reputation as a natural finishers.
Robbie left Liverpool in controversial circumstances as constant rows with Gerard Houllier and Phil Thompson saw him leave the club for Leeds United in 2002. Five years later via Manchester City he rejoined the Anfield club for a second spell and became the club’s all time top goal-scorer with a strike against West Bromwich Albion. The local lad was released at the end of the 2005-6 season and joining Cardiff and currently with Blackburn, he is still considered a ‘legend’ by the Liverpool fans who aptly named him ‘God’.
Teddy Sheringham
It is often more difficult for a player who starts his career elsewhere to become a hero at a club he moves to later in his career, but Teddy Sheringham is an example of a player who did just that. The striker began his career with Millwall where he played for eight years before moving to Nottingham Forest in the first season of the Premier League. After a season in which he scored 14 goals in a relegated Forest side, Sheringham made his move to Tottenham Hotspur and begun establishing himself as a first team regular alongside Les Ferdinand.
Joining the team he supported as a boy was a dream move for the forward as he scored 14 goals in his first season, helping Spurs to a 7th place finish and an FA Cup semi-final in the process. Continuing his excellent form, Sheringham was teamed up with German international Jurgen Klinsmann and by then was being picked to play alongside Alan Shearer in the England set-up. His eye catching performances at Spurs earned him a move to Manchester United where he finally achieved his dream of winning trophies and in four years he won three Premiership titles, an FA cup and helped United win the Champions League with a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich.
Still idolised by Spurs fans despite joining United, Sheringham was welcomed back with open arms by the North Londoners when his Manchester United contract expired and in his first season he helped the club to their highest finish in six years and also played a part in the League Cup final side of 2003.
Steven Gerrard
Gerrard joined the Liverpool academy at the age of nine and despite having trials with other clubs including Manchester United, there was only one team the local lad had in his mind to join – Liverpool.
Steven made his debut for the club at the age of 18 after signing a professional contract the previous year and made his debut in a European game before establishing himself as a regular in team during the 99-00 season, where he scored his first goal. Injuries blighted his early years at Anfield and many doubted whether he would be able to reach the heights and potential that was expected of him, but overcoming injury he made fifty starts in 2000-1 as Liverpool won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.
By 2003 Gerrard was named as club captain and despite rumours of a move to Chelsea signed a new contract with the club which looked to keep him with Liverpool for the rest of his career. Gerrard’s ability to score crucial goals has earned him the respect of his supporters after they feared he would leave and during the 2005 run to the Champions League final Gerrard scored a vital last minute winner which put the club into the knock-out stages and was also influential in the final, scoring the first and setting up the third in an incredible comeback from three goals down.
The following season Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 games and was named PFA player of the year, as well as scoring two in the FA Cup final as Liverpool won the trophy in 2006 against West Ham. This season Gerrard has continued to inspire Liverpool with his performances and scored his 100th career club goal in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.
Jamie Carragher
Another of the member of a very successful youth academy at Liverpool, Jamie Carragher, born in Bootle was part of the 1996 youth cup winning side which also included Michael Owen. He signed a professional contract with the club in 1996 and made his debut a few months later in a League Cup semi-final. During a season in which he also made his England debut, Carragher was part of a Liverpool side which won five trophies under Gerrard Houllier including the UEFA Cup.
Carragher’s career was then interrupted by injury which kept him out for around two seasons, though when he returned to the team he soon found himself in his favoured position of centre back where he continued to be as consistent-a defender as there is around. He was part of the team which won the Champions League in 2005 and was voted the club’s player of the season for his performances. A year later he captained the team to UEFA Super Cup victory and played in the FA Cup final against West Ham which his side won on penalties.
In 2007 Carragher surpassed Ian Callaghan’s record of 89 European matches for the club and was once again voted as player of the season by the supporters. In the 2007-8 season he made his 500th appearance for the club and currently stands as 11th in the all-time list at Anfield.
Gary Neville
Like many of the famous names who came through the Manchester United youth academy in the early 1990’s, Gary Neville is one of the players who serves his one and only side to the current day. The full-back is one of England’s most capped players and at the age of 33 he is still United’s club captain, despite spending most of the last two years sidelined by injury.
He joined the club in 1991, and made his senior debut a year later in the UEFA Cup. It only took two seasons before Neville was an established member of the successful United team and he took over at club captain following the departure of Roy Keane in 2005. During his impressive spell at Old Trafford Neville has picked up seven Premier League title, three FA Cups, one European Cup and captained the side to the League Cup in 2006. In fifteen years at United the committed defender has represented England 85 time and made 370 appearances for his club side.
Tony Adams
Many long-serving players are touted in the media as being future managers of the clubs they serve successfully, but infrequently does that actually happen. In the case of Tony Adams, the man attached to Arsenal for so much of his career, it does seem that the club’s former captain is a potential candidate for a future role at the Emirates Stadium because of the legacy he left behind at the Gunners.
His current role with Portsmouth is probably with a view to some day managing the club he spent 22 years playing for, his entire career. Adams is considered by most Arsenal fans as one of the club’s greatest ever servants and captaining the club to four league titles, two league cups, three FA cup’s and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup, it is no wonder than with Arsenal’s recent struggles, many consider the kind of player they need to be in the ‘Adams mould’.
Although he picked up much silverware it cannot be said that his whole career at Arsenal was not dogged by scandal, as in 1990 Adams was sent to jail and following his release was treated as a recovering alcoholic. Determined to put his troubles behind him, Adams was backed by then manager George Graham, but it wasn’t until Arsene Wenger arrived in 1996 that the England defender seemed to peak. The Frenchman stuck by his defender after he confessed to a drink problem, but in 1998 he put all the troubles behind him by helping the club pick up their first Premiership double, with Adams scoring the final goal of the season in a 4-1 win against Everton.
Four years later, the Arsenal man said goodbye to his beloved team by hoisting the title once more and also helped his side to win the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Chelsea, walking away from the club second in the all time appearance leader and with 66 caps to his name.
Raul
The legendary white shirt of Real Madrid has been synanoamous with great players for years, but few who have played at the Bernabeau have been adored in the same way Raul has since he joined the club in 1992. Often referred to as the ‘King of Real Madrid’, Raul is still going strong at the age of 31 despite being written off in more recent times by the Spanish media.
With Real often suffering a turbulent existence as they try to add to their European Cup record of nine and continue to battle Barcelona in La Liga, Raul has been a steady and consistent performer since he made his debut in 1994, when he picked up his first winners medal. Pushing Spanish legend Emilio Butragueno to one side, Raul scored 19 goals at the age of 18 in La Liga and despite only picking up the league title in one of his following five seasons with Madrid, he continued to be amongst the league’s top scorers and in 2003 he took over captaincy of the club when Fernando Hierro was released.
His current tally of 211 goals for Real is the sixth highest of all time and in 2005 he became the first player to reach 50 goals in the Champions League, a record which currently stands at 66 goals in 124 games. Despite his success on the pitch, his side struggled off it, losing their grip on the league title to a re-emerging Barcelona and unable to recapture the European Cup since 2001, yet Raul is still one of the club’s most consistent players and in 2007, he was returned to his role in the forward line, celebrating by scoring his 300th goal for the club. His intelligent forward play will probably allow him to continue well into his thirties and will no doubt mean that more club records follow.
Paulo Maldini
However long all the other players in this list have served their clubs, Italian defender Paulo Maldini is one of the world’s most recognised ‘one-club-men’.
Maldini has set various records during his playing career most notably becoming the most selected player in the history of AC Milan and Serie A, as well as picking up the highest number of caps in his nations international history, with 126.
The Milan defender made his debut in January 1985 at the age of sixteen, and after just one season in Serie A, he become a first team regular.
During the 1987-88 season Maldini played his part in Milan’s Scudetto success and was part of the AC side which went unbeaten from the late 1980’s to the beginning of the early 1990’s. By 1994 the honours had continued to mount up for the defender. He won his third Champions League trophy and also played in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil.
Paulo played his 600th Series A match in May 2007 and broke Dino Zoff’s appearance record before going on to play his 800th game in all competitions for Milan. In February 2008, he had reached an even bigger milestone of playing in 1000 senior games when he appeared as a substitute against Parma. During his career, Maldini has played in eight UEFA Champions League finals, and picked up the trophy for the fifth time in 2007 after Milan’s 2-1 victory against Liverpool.
He was set to retire in 2008 at the age of 39, but delayed his retirement until 2009 signing a one-year contract extension. On the date of his retirement, his club plan to retirement, Milan plan to retire his number 3 jersey and have stated that if one of his son’s currently playing for the Milan youth squad makes it to the first team then they will be bequeathed his shirt.
Alan Shearer
Despite being released by Newcastle as an 11-year-old goalkeeper, the Gosforth-born striker was signed by his hometown club at the age of 26 for a then world record fee of £15million. Shearer, who turned down Manchester United to sign for Newcastle, set about making up for lost time with 25 goals in 31 games.
Despite an injury the following season, Shearer became club captain and led Newcastle to two FA cup finals and helped them to three successful seasons in the Champions League. The England international continued to break records during his time at St James’ Park before his decision to retired in 2006, the same year in which he broke Jackie Milburn’s goal-scoring record.
The BBC pundit’s final goal was against Sunderland, a game in which Shearer suffered a season ending injury, but with 206 goals in 404 games it has already been rumoured that he will be returning to the north-east within a couple of years to take over as the club’s manager.
Matt Le Tissier
It is doubtful that a player with some much ability has ever been overlooked by his national team.
Born in Guernsey, Le Tissier was plucked from the channel island and after a trial with Oxford United, decided to join the Saints in 1986 and went on to become the club’s second highest goal-scorer of all time. Le Tissier was known for his laid back style of play he became the first midfielder to score 100 goals in the Premier League and was top scorer in the 1993-94 season, despite the Saints’ struggles at the bottom of the table.
Le Tissier picked up eight caps in his England career and with Southampton scored a total of 162 goals in just over 400 appearances. The midfielder added to his reputation as a club hero by scoring the last official goal at the Dell in a game against Arsenal, this despite being out injured for most of the season. Le Tissier’s skills as a midfielder saw him pick up the goal of the season award in the 1993-4 season and will go down in Southampton folk-law as a scorer of great goals and a great goal scorer.
Ryan Giggs
The most decorated footballer to play in the English Premier League, Ryan Giggs is a player who seems to have been around for longer than many people remember. The former England schoolboy made his first appearance for his only club, Manchester United, in 1990-91 and became a regular since the final year of ‘division one’ in 91-92.
In his years at Old Trafford Giggs has picked up ten league winners medals, four FA cup winners medals, two league cup winners medals and two champions league winners medals in an incredible career at Old Trafford.
The Welsh winger has also captained his country and in 2007-8 broke Bobby Charlton’s appearance record for the Red Devils and in a career which looks to be continuing well into his thirties the midfielder has racked up a total of 771 appearances scoring 146 goals. Although he has never been a prolific goal-scorer despite taking up attacking positions quite frequently for his club, Giggs scored a memorable winning goal for Manchester United in the 1999 FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal which helped them on the day to a treble and as well as scoring the clinching goal in United’s Premiership success in 2008, he is one of few players to appear in every single season of the Premiership and the only player to have scored a goal in ever season since 1992-3.
Robbie Fowler
The fact that Fowler is no longer with the club whose supporters idolise him should not be discounted from the argument that he is considered a legend by fans of Liverpool. The Toxteth-born striker was a fan of Everton since his younger days but when the blue half of Everton stalled in their decision to bring him into their academy, the side at the other half of Stanley Park had no fear about bringing in a player who then became considered as one of the best strikers in the clubs history.
Having signed for the club at the age of 18, Fowler made an impact by scoring a hat trick in only his fifth game with a club, three of what turned out to be 120 on Merseyside with Liverpool. Fowler also picked up 26 England caps in his career and in the 1994-5 season scored the fastest hat-trick to date in just over four minutes, he also picked up the PFA Young player of the year award in two consecutive seasons as he build his reputation as a natural finishers.
Robbie left Liverpool in controversial circumstances as constant rows with Gerard Houllier and Phil Thompson saw him leave the club for Leeds United in 2002. Five years later via Manchester City he rejoined the Anfield club for a second spell and became the club’s all time top goal-scorer with a strike against West Bromwich Albion. The local lad was released at the end of the 2005-6 season and joining Cardiff and currently with Blackburn, he is still considered a ‘legend’ by the Liverpool fans who aptly named him ‘God’.
Teddy Sheringham
It is often more difficult for a player who starts his career elsewhere to become a hero at a club he moves to later in his career, but Teddy Sheringham is an example of a player who did just that. The striker began his career with Millwall where he played for eight years before moving to Nottingham Forest in the first season of the Premier League. After a season in which he scored 14 goals in a relegated Forest side, Sheringham made his move to Tottenham Hotspur and begun establishing himself as a first team regular alongside Les Ferdinand.
Joining the team he supported as a boy was a dream move for the forward as he scored 14 goals in his first season, helping Spurs to a 7th place finish and an FA Cup semi-final in the process. Continuing his excellent form, Sheringham was teamed up with German international Jurgen Klinsmann and by then was being picked to play alongside Alan Shearer in the England set-up. His eye catching performances at Spurs earned him a move to Manchester United where he finally achieved his dream of winning trophies and in four years he won three Premiership titles, an FA cup and helped United win the Champions League with a dramatic victory over Bayern Munich.
Still idolised by Spurs fans despite joining United, Sheringham was welcomed back with open arms by the North Londoners when his Manchester United contract expired and in his first season he helped the club to their highest finish in six years and also played a part in the League Cup final side of 2003.
Steven Gerrard
Gerrard joined the Liverpool academy at the age of nine and despite having trials with other clubs including Manchester United, there was only one team the local lad had in his mind to join – Liverpool.
Steven made his debut for the club at the age of 18 after signing a professional contract the previous year and made his debut in a European game before establishing himself as a regular in team during the 99-00 season, where he scored his first goal. Injuries blighted his early years at Anfield and many doubted whether he would be able to reach the heights and potential that was expected of him, but overcoming injury he made fifty starts in 2000-1 as Liverpool won the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup.
By 2003 Gerrard was named as club captain and despite rumours of a move to Chelsea signed a new contract with the club which looked to keep him with Liverpool for the rest of his career. Gerrard’s ability to score crucial goals has earned him the respect of his supporters after they feared he would leave and during the 2005 run to the Champions League final Gerrard scored a vital last minute winner which put the club into the knock-out stages and was also influential in the final, scoring the first and setting up the third in an incredible comeback from three goals down.
The following season Gerrard scored 23 goals in 53 games and was named PFA player of the year, as well as scoring two in the FA Cup final as Liverpool won the trophy in 2006 against West Ham. This season Gerrard has continued to inspire Liverpool with his performances and scored his 100th career club goal in the Champions League against PSV Eindhoven.
Jamie Carragher
Another of the member of a very successful youth academy at Liverpool, Jamie Carragher, born in Bootle was part of the 1996 youth cup winning side which also included Michael Owen. He signed a professional contract with the club in 1996 and made his debut a few months later in a League Cup semi-final. During a season in which he also made his England debut, Carragher was part of a Liverpool side which won five trophies under Gerrard Houllier including the UEFA Cup.
Carragher’s career was then interrupted by injury which kept him out for around two seasons, though when he returned to the team he soon found himself in his favoured position of centre back where he continued to be as consistent-a defender as there is around. He was part of the team which won the Champions League in 2005 and was voted the club’s player of the season for his performances. A year later he captained the team to UEFA Super Cup victory and played in the FA Cup final against West Ham which his side won on penalties.
In 2007 Carragher surpassed Ian Callaghan’s record of 89 European matches for the club and was once again voted as player of the season by the supporters. In the 2007-8 season he made his 500th appearance for the club and currently stands as 11th in the all-time list at Anfield.
Gary Neville
Like many of the famous names who came through the Manchester United youth academy in the early 1990’s, Gary Neville is one of the players who serves his one and only side to the current day. The full-back is one of England’s most capped players and at the age of 33 he is still United’s club captain, despite spending most of the last two years sidelined by injury.
He joined the club in 1991, and made his senior debut a year later in the UEFA Cup. It only took two seasons before Neville was an established member of the successful United team and he took over at club captain following the departure of Roy Keane in 2005. During his impressive spell at Old Trafford Neville has picked up seven Premier League title, three FA Cups, one European Cup and captained the side to the League Cup in 2006. In fifteen years at United the committed defender has represented England 85 time and made 370 appearances for his club side.
Tony Adams
Many long-serving players are touted in the media as being future managers of the clubs they serve successfully, but infrequently does that actually happen. In the case of Tony Adams, the man attached to Arsenal for so much of his career, it does seem that the club’s former captain is a potential candidate for a future role at the Emirates Stadium because of the legacy he left behind at the Gunners.
His current role with Portsmouth is probably with a view to some day managing the club he spent 22 years playing for, his entire career. Adams is considered by most Arsenal fans as one of the club’s greatest ever servants and captaining the club to four league titles, two league cups, three FA cup’s and a UEFA Cup Winners Cup, it is no wonder than with Arsenal’s recent struggles, many consider the kind of player they need to be in the ‘Adams mould’.
Although he picked up much silverware it cannot be said that his whole career at Arsenal was not dogged by scandal, as in 1990 Adams was sent to jail and following his release was treated as a recovering alcoholic. Determined to put his troubles behind him, Adams was backed by then manager George Graham, but it wasn’t until Arsene Wenger arrived in 1996 that the England defender seemed to peak. The Frenchman stuck by his defender after he confessed to a drink problem, but in 1998 he put all the troubles behind him by helping the club pick up their first Premiership double, with Adams scoring the final goal of the season in a 4-1 win against Everton.
Four years later, the Arsenal man said goodbye to his beloved team by hoisting the title once more and also helped his side to win the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Chelsea, walking away from the club second in the all time appearance leader and with 66 caps to his name.
Raul
The legendary white shirt of Real Madrid has been synanoamous with great players for years, but few who have played at the Bernabeau have been adored in the same way Raul has since he joined the club in 1992. Often referred to as the ‘King of Real Madrid’, Raul is still going strong at the age of 31 despite being written off in more recent times by the Spanish media.
With Real often suffering a turbulent existence as they try to add to their European Cup record of nine and continue to battle Barcelona in La Liga, Raul has been a steady and consistent performer since he made his debut in 1994, when he picked up his first winners medal. Pushing Spanish legend Emilio Butragueno to one side, Raul scored 19 goals at the age of 18 in La Liga and despite only picking up the league title in one of his following five seasons with Madrid, he continued to be amongst the league’s top scorers and in 2003 he took over captaincy of the club when Fernando Hierro was released.
His current tally of 211 goals for Real is the sixth highest of all time and in 2005 he became the first player to reach 50 goals in the Champions League, a record which currently stands at 66 goals in 124 games. Despite his success on the pitch, his side struggled off it, losing their grip on the league title to a re-emerging Barcelona and unable to recapture the European Cup since 2001, yet Raul is still one of the club’s most consistent players and in 2007, he was returned to his role in the forward line, celebrating by scoring his 300th goal for the club. His intelligent forward play will probably allow him to continue well into his thirties and will no doubt mean that more club records follow.
Paulo Maldini
However long all the other players in this list have served their clubs, Italian defender Paulo Maldini is one of the world’s most recognised ‘one-club-men’.
Maldini has set various records during his playing career most notably becoming the most selected player in the history of AC Milan and Serie A, as well as picking up the highest number of caps in his nations international history, with 126.
The Milan defender made his debut in January 1985 at the age of sixteen, and after just one season in Serie A, he become a first team regular.
During the 1987-88 season Maldini played his part in Milan’s Scudetto success and was part of the AC side which went unbeaten from the late 1980’s to the beginning of the early 1990’s. By 1994 the honours had continued to mount up for the defender. He won his third Champions League trophy and also played in the 1994 World Cup final against Brazil.
Paulo played his 600th Series A match in May 2007 and broke Dino Zoff’s appearance record before going on to play his 800th game in all competitions for Milan. In February 2008, he had reached an even bigger milestone of playing in 1000 senior games when he appeared as a substitute against Parma. During his career, Maldini has played in eight UEFA Champions League finals, and picked up the trophy for the fifth time in 2007 after Milan’s 2-1 victory against Liverpool.
He was set to retire in 2008 at the age of 39, but delayed his retirement until 2009 signing a one-year contract extension. On the date of his retirement, his club plan to retirement, Milan plan to retire his number 3 jersey and have stated that if one of his son’s currently playing for the Milan youth squad makes it to the first team then they will be bequeathed his shirt.