Zola, at that time a player for S.S.C. He was so good he was nicknamed 'Le God'.

In a sport where a 'genius' can more often than not serve as a problem, a self-interested cloud gazer who destroys the equilibrium of a team with their solipsism, Bergkamp was that rarest of once-in-a-lifetime talents - one for whom the equilibrium of the team was at the centre of everything. From when he arrived at Highbury to when he played his last game, everything seemed so right in Bergkamp's Arsenal career, but to attribute this to chance alone ignores the values which unwaveringly informed the Dutchman's choices throughout a glittering career. Blackburn's 'SAS'-inspired title-winners of 1994/95 and Kevin Keegan's Tyneside 'Entertainers' a season later stand out as two distinct examples of the archetypal 'English way of playing'. For example, Cookies that enable you to log into secure areas of our site or use a shopping cart. Very few could make Sir Alex Ferguson envious but Gianfranco Zola did, and that's a testament to the Italian's nagging genius. Read Declan Houten's full article on Dennis Bergkamp here. Savage Garden ruled the airways, Meg Ryan ruled the box office and, most importantly, when football PEAKED. This includes information about the number of visitors to the site, what pages visitors view on our site and how long visitors are viewing pages on the site. Schmeichel was an era-defining talent, who helped re-invent modern goalkeeping and so much more than just a shot-stopper. Must read content, player grades, stuff you can't get anywhere else. One moment he is running in one direction and then he is somewhere else. Good players have come and gone at the club since Vieira's time, but none managed to balance skill with strength and intelligence as the midfielder could. ©2020 The Athletic Media Company. Just as Cantona defined the transformation of Manchester United from underachievers to imperious champions, Zola did the same for Chelsea. Schmeichel was noted for his presence, filling the goal and intimidating any forward that would get through one-on-one with him. In that time he would cover his mantelpiece with just about every winner’s medal available to him, along with the occasional personal accolade along the way. 'Magic Box' scored four times in Chelsea's journey to their first piece of silverware in 26 (!) For more information about Cookies and how to adjust them, please see our. The Red Devils could attack using the width of the pitch but the presence of the Frenchman handed United a magical dynamic down the centre. “That turn was just brilliant. Apply Now. He would lift European titles at the turn of the century - a UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup in 2001 - but for the sheer volume of goals he scored he didn't earn the accolades his performances warranted. But it was perhaps his work in the FA Cup that season which would go on to define Zola's spell in west London. Zola joined a Chelsea side who'd attempted to reinvent themselves under a stylish - solely from a football perspective - Glenn Hoddle. His arrogance often crossed the line, yet he was as gifted with the ball at his feet as any player in his generation, and could gracefully drift past an opposing full-back without even shaking off his hangover. Microsoft may earn an Affiliate Commission if you purchase something through recommended links in this article. Read Max Cooper's full article on David Ginola here. Read Jamie Spencer's full article on Gary Pallister here. The answer is that his career was a perfect constellation of unique footballing ability, a resolute mentality, and the good fortune which all great minds seem to benefit from. These are cookies that are required to provide you with features or services that you have requested. That's the sort of leeway a genius deserves, though. Read Max Cooper's full article on Roy Keane here. Like us on Facebook to see similar stories, Denver shooting suspect did not have an active security guard license, city official says, The best drive-thru restaurants in the USA.

One that often goes under the radar, however, is former Leeds United star Gary Speed. Read Ross Kennerley's full article on Patrick Vieira here. All rights reserved. pic.twitter.com/xP3V3EyBVp. This season in the Serie D Group D (Italy), Sasso Marconi Zola SSD stats show they are performing Very Poor overall, currently placing them at 0 /18 in the Serie D Group D Table, winning 0% of matches.. On average Sasso Marconi Zola SSD score 0 goals and concede 0 goals per match. No one could lay a finger on Zola, and even when Ferguson sought to man-mark the Italian - who Ryan Giggs later admitted was the only player they'd ever pay such close attention to - United were on the receiving end of a memorable 5-0 defeat in April 1999.

In England, however, he was. But while Cantona did so with an air of self-serving arrogance, laced with moments of controversy and madness, Zola went about his magical craft with an air of childlike charm and, of course, that wide grin. One FA Cup and two League Cup titles was all the domestic silverware Robbie Fowler had to show for some astounding scoring rates in the mid-90s. Running each day until the new season begins, The Premier League 60 is designed to reflect and honour the greatest players to have graced and illuminated the English top flight in the modern era, as voted for by our writers. Their eventual trophy hauls may fail to suggest it, but the two were equal in both ability and influence throughout English football's transitional decade. The top 20 Premier League footballers of the 1990s. Powerful in the air and good on both feet, the Welshman was a constant threat over an 18-year stay in the top flight. Napoli, was the only professional player and the most representative one of the squad. He was a master between the lines, although the stringent marking and use of a libero often seen in Serie A during this period meant he wasn't someone who was destined to thrive in Italy. Renowned for his speed, strength, aerial ability, and lethal finishing, Les Ferdinand is the Premier League's tenth highest goalscorer of all time with 149. Say what you like about the footballing career of Alan Shearer – he’s achieved absolutely everything he wanted to. You’re thinking ‘how did he get there? Read Ross Jackson's full article on Alan Shearer here. Bargain!#OnThisDay in 1996, Chelsea signed Gianfranco Zola for £4.5million from Parma pic.twitter.com/ClxVvzBrxC. Doesn't make him any less loved in Liverpool, though. That's right, the 90s is when football PEAKED because it's when, quite simply, more of the greatest footballers of all time played in the 1990s than in any other single decade.

The rest of the division craved to discover their Cantona equivalent, scouring the perimeters of Europe in attempt to find their guy. Already have the app?

Read Robbie Copeland's full article on Matt Le Tissier here. Ryan Giggs, Ian Rush, Gareth Bale - the English top flight has enjoyed its fair share of Welsh superstars. There were anomalies, mind, and perhaps none more notorious than Sir Alex Ferguson's imperious Manchester United side who stumbled across a maverick deep-lying forward in Eric Cantona who'd go on to spearhead their domestic supremacy in the early 1990s. His maverick nature and laidback approach to the game may have come back to bite him on occasions, with France manager Gerard Houllier singling him out as the sole reason behind les Bleus' failure to qualify for World Cup 1994. When it comes to true one-club men, there are seldom many better than Arsenal's Tony Adams. Read Ross Kennerley's full article on Robbie Fowler here.

Not every footballer begins their career at the top, though. What was it that made Bergkamp's particular artistry so enduring, and so integral to one of the most glorious periods in Arsenal's modern history? And, in and among all that nonsense, there was a pretty sensational footballer. Enter your email to read this article for free. It is easy to get lost in the notion that David Beckham was a celebrity first and a footballer second. Read Robbie Copeland's full article on Steve McManaman here. Southampton supporters can be forgiven for dying a little inside every time he tweets, but they will also tell you that his legacy remains untainted. He was unlike anything England had previously encountered, playing in a role English football was 'historically suspicious of' (via Michael Cox's book, The Mixer). The Italian was the poster boy for Chelsea's transition, a Premier League tactical revolutionary and undoubtedly one of the finest foreign exports to arrive on British shores. Inspired by Diego Maradona during their time together at Napoli, Zola was revered for his sheer creative prowess, ingenious space interpretation and ability from dead-ball situations. If you ever needed evidence of how highly regarded Vieira is at Arsenal, the fact the club still haven't found his successor 15 years on tells its own story. For all the latest Premier League information including news and stats, visit the official website of the Premier League. In that time, only one player – Wayne Rooney – has actually managed to overtake his tally of 187 and go ahead in the standings.

For someone who only turned professional three months shy of his 22nd birthday, to go on and achieve what he did in his career, score the number of goals he did and surpass all expectations is rather remarkable. And by the time Pallister left Manchester United in 1998, he was actually the most decorated player in the club’s storied history after winning nine major trophies in nine seasons.

Where other players had been household names in their own country or were internationally in the football community, Beckham was arguably the first global celebrity footballer. It was 'sexy football', with Zola the final piece - and protagonist - of the Dutchman's revolution.

Carlo Ancelotti refused to accommodate a player of Zola's profile - a number ten - in his meticulously structured 4-4-2 heavily influenced by his former coach Arrigo Sacchi after he succeeded the legendary Nevio Scala in Emilia-Romagna. They were a middle of the road outfit but the additions of Ruud Gullit, Roberto Di Matteo and Gianluca Vialli - who all arrived in the summer - showed tremendous ambition. These Cookies are necessary for the performance of the Services and may not be removed. For those of you out there who were too young to witness the Manchester United captain making grown men hide and cower with fear on the pitch, first of all: unlucky. These Cookies allow us to understand how visitors use our site. To compare his ability to a more modern player, he was Rio Ferdinand before Rio Ferdinand was. He is, after all, referred to as 'God' by many on Merseyside. His minute size five feet sparkled in between the gaping lines of English defences and midfields. Under Gullit - who succeeded Hoddle as player-manager prior to Zola's arrival - Chelsea's DNA was established.

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