Wayne Rooney - The King Of Old Trafford

Wayne Rooney - The King Of Old Trafford

Wayne Rooney is a versatile forward who plays for Manchester United in the Premiership. He is regarded as one of the hottest talents in the footballing world right now, and is expected to leave an indelible impression on the game by the time he retires.

Rooney was born on the 24th of October, 1985 in Liverpool, England. He shares his birthdate with Chelsea owner and Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich and Aston Villa striker Juan Pablo Angel. He grew up in humble surroundings in Croxteth, a suburb in eastern Liverpool ,with his two brothers and parents. Nearly everybody in his area supported the blue half of Merseyside, and the young Wayne was no exception. He was spotted by an Everton scout as a schoolboy and signed by the club at the age of 11. He now dons red, not those of bitter rivals Liverpool, but of Premiership giants Manchester United.

Rooney is a naturally gifted player and can play at many positions on the football pitch. He generally plays in the ''hole'', just behind the main striker, although he can also play on the wings. Not only does he score, but he also provides plenty of opportunities for others to get themselves on the scoresheet. He shows maturity beyond his years, and is a complete team man. You will often see him tackle and run for the ball as if there was no tomorrow, and his fierce determination and grit ensure that opposition defenders need to be on their toes all the time.

Rooney made his Premiership debut for the Toffees on the 17th of August 2002, against Tottenham Hotspur. He caught everyone's attention barely 2 months later, with a stunning goal against Arsenal which made him the then youngest scorer in the history of the Premiership. That goal broke Arsenal's 30 match unbeaten streak, and the substitute had made a name for himself with his last minute strike.

Rooney made his England debut in February 2003, against Australia. That appearance made him the then youngest player ever to play for the Three Lions. Arsenal's wonderkid Theo Walcott now holds that honour. He scored his first senior goal against Macedonia in September 2003, an equaliser to Georgi Hristov's opening goal. England went on to beat Macedonia 2-1, and Wayne Rooney had another record to his name - England's youngest ever goal scorer. His talent continued to grow and Sven Goran Eriksson decided to take the lad to Portugal for the European Championships. Rooney didn't disappoint his manager, as he scored 4 goals and was named in UEFA's team of the tournament. Although England were knocked out by the hosts in the last eight, Rooney's sensational performance was taken notice of by one and all. He became the youngest scorer in the history of the European Championships in the game against Switzerland, but the record lasted barely 4 days and was broken when Johan Volanthen scored for the Swiss against France.

The same year, Rooney moved to Manchester United for an estimated fee of £30 million on the last day of the summer transfer window. Newcastle were also close to securing his signature, but it was United who clinched it in the end. He has improved with every passing year at Old Trafford, and is now a regular first team player. He made his debut for the Red Devils in the Champions League against Fenerbahce. The Turkish side did not know what hit them as Rooney scored a hat trick with United cruising to a 6-2 win. He started playing out wide, and was later asked to play in the centre where he did very well, sitting just behind Ruud Van Nistelrooy. He played a key role in the 2006 League cup win over Wigan Athletic, contributing half of the goals in an emphatic 4-0 win. He wore the captain's armband for the Red Devils for the first time in October 2006, in an European clash against FC Copenhagen. It was a sign of how highly he was regarded by his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

One of Rooney's biggest weaknesses has been his perceived lack of ability to keep a check on his temper. He was sent off in a Champions League game against Villareal for taunting referee Kim Nielsen. Horacio Elizondo meted out the same treatment to him during England's quarterfinal game against Portugal in the 2006 World Cup. The reason being a stamp on Ricardo Carvalho, and Rooney also got into a scuffle with Cristiano Ronaldo . The incident was given extensive coverage in the media, and it was predicted that Ronaldo would leave Manchester United as he and Rooney wouldn't be able to play together. Nothing of that sort happened though, and now the two R's are a part of the group which forms the core nucleus of the United side. When the two of them are on song, United are a difficult team to beat. In the 2007-08 season, Ronaldo and Rooney together scored an incredible sixty goals.

Xavi Hernandez - One Of The Best Midfielder In The World

Xavi Hernandez - One Of The Best Midfielder In The World

Full name: Xavi Hernández
Date of birth: January 25, 1980 (age 31)
Place of birth: Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
Height: 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position: Midfielder, Captain
Salary: € 4,992,000 per year

Horoscope: Aquarius

Club information:

Current club: FC Barcelona
Number: 6

Junior career:

FC Barcelona 1991-1997

Senior career:

Year Club Show (Goals)
1997-1998 FC Barcelona B 61 (2)
1998 - FC Barcelona 281 (27)

National team:

2000 - Spain 94 (8)

Biography:

Xavier Hernandez I Creus was born on 25 January 1980 in Terrassa, Barcelona, although he is better known as simply Xavi.
He came through Barcelona’s La Masia youth system and made his professional debut on 18 August 1998 in the Super Cup Final. Xavi’s performances for the first team were limited until the 1999-00 season when he solidified his place in the team’s midfield.

Having been at the Nou Camp since the age of 11, Xavi is the living embodiment of Barcelona's philosophy of artful and aesthetically-pleasing football and is undoubtedly one of the globe's leading playmakers. After taking up the mantle of dictating Barca's midfield following the departure of Josep Guardiola, now his coach, in 2001, Xavi has become the central cog in Europe's finest club side and enjoys an intuitive understanding with Barca and Spain team-mate Andres Iniesta, constructing what Sir Alex Ferguson has described as the Catalans' "passing carousel".
After being named player of the tournament as Spain triumphed at Euro 2008, Xavi enjoyed a remarkable season at Barca when winning six titles in 2008-09. He has won everything there is to win in the game - including the 2010 World Cup - and is one of the best playmakers of his generation.

David Beckham - The Unforgettable

David Beckham - The Unforgettable

Date of Birth: 2 May 1975, Leytonstone, London, England, UK
Birth Name: David Robert Joseph Beckham
Nickname: Dave, Becks, Golden Balls, DB7
Height: 6' (1.83 m) 

Professional soccer player David Beckham was born May 2, 1975, in London, England. A phenom almost from the moment he could first kick a soccer ball, Beckham began playing for Manchester United, England's legendary soccer team, at 18, and was a starter by the time he was 20. He's also played for Real Madrid. In 2007 he signed a five-year, $250-million contract with the L.A. Galaxy.

David Beckham is one of Britain's most iconic athletes whose name is also an elite global advertising brand. He was captain of the English national team from 2000 to 2006, scored in three different FIFA World Cups, and played midfield for clubs in Manchester, England, Madrid, Spain, and Milan, Italy; he also won the MLS Cup playing for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2011.

He was born David Robert Joseph Beckham on May 2, 1975, in Leytonstone, East London, England, son of Ted Beckham, a kitchen fitter, and Sandra West, a hairdresser. Beckham's maternal grandfather is Jewish, and he has been mentioning the religion as influence; he wears a tattoo written in Hebrew from the 'Song of Songs' in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), albeit he is not known to practice Judaism or any other faith. Beckham has always played in long sleeve shirts to cover up his tattoos in consideration of others who may feel uncomfortable due to their beliefs.

He was brought up by his parents, supporters of Manchester United, attended Bobby Charlton's football school in Manchester, and won a spot in a training session at FC Barcelona as a child. In 1986 he was a Manchester United's mascot for a match against West Ham United. From 1992 - 2003 Beckham made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United and scored 85 goals, although his official record counts only 62 goals in 265 official senior team's matches. In the 1998 FIFA World Cup he played all of England's qualifying matches and scored in several important victories. He received a red card for violent conduct in England's match against Argentina, albeit his opponent later admitted to trying to send Beckham off by over-reacting to their contact during the game and by urging the referee to send Beckham off. After losing the game England was eliminated, Beckham was made a scapegoat and became the target of criticism and abuse in media.

Andres Iniesta - The Best Player In The World

Andres Iniesta The - Best Player In The World

Full Name: Andres Iniesta
Squad No: 8
Position: Midfielder
Age: 28
Birth Date: May 11, 1984
Birth Place: Albacete
Height: 5' 7'' (1.70m)
Weight: 65 kg

Andres Iniesta was born in Albacete, Spain on May 11, 1984. Ever since he was a litle kid, his parents noticed that he had a talent for football. He used to perform some outstanding moves which convinced his father that his son is going to become a footballer. When he was twelve years old, he had only one plan — to go to Madrid and start playing for Real. However, after his parents heard that Madrid is not a good place for their son, due to violence on the streets, they changed their minds and sent him to Barcelona. He joined FC Barcelona youngsters, and we can now definitely say that he didn’t make a mistake. He went through the Barca football school, and debuted for the first team in 2002. Soon after that, he started getting more and more chances to play. By 2004, he reserved his spot in the first eleven. At the moment, he is the first choice of the current FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola for the attacking midfield position, along with Xavi. They are every oponent’s nightmare. What makes Andres more special is that he plays great for the national team. He started in the U-16 team, and now, of course, he’s with the first team.

This unassuming midfielder from Albacete has long lived in the shadow of some of his team-mates, but has demanded recognition of his own thanks to his dazzling brilliance for club and country.

After joining Barca from Albacete as a 12-year-old, Iniesta was quickly picked out as a special talent at an early age by none other than Pep Guardiola, with the then-Barca midfielder and current manager famously telling Xavi: "You're going to retire me. This lad is going to retire us all." But Iniesta's quiet approach and willingness to play in a variety of positions meant his contribution was often overlooked in his early years.

But in recent times his humble approach has only further endeared him to a support that revels in watching him on a weekly basis. Alongside the supremely-talented Xavi in midfield, or operating as an auxiliary forward, Iniesta has been one of Barca's most consistent performers and was widely hailed as one of the world's best players when playing an influential role in Barca's historic six trophy season.

He also capped a glorious rise by smashing the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup final to take Spain to the title, having shone in the showpiece, being named Man of the Match. Iniesta was also named in the Team of the Tournament, such were the high level of his displays.

Strengths: A wonderful technician and one of the finest exponents of the passing game in Europe, Iniesta also has an admirable willingness to work ceaselessly for his team. His dribbling, vision and poise all catch the eye while his versatility also marks him out as the complete midfielder.

Weaknesses: Like Xavi, his physical attributes are not remarkable, although what he lacks in strength and height he makes up for in intelligence and guile.

Career high: Scoring the goal that won Spain the 2010 World Cup.

Career low: In the summer of 2009, Iniesta was left feeling down due to some persistent injury problems and then saw his friend, Espanyol defender Dani Jarque, die on August 8. "That destroyed me, I cried a lot," said Iniesta.

Style: Versatile, intuitive, masterful, a midfield maestro.

Quotes: "Iniesta is easily Spain's most complete player. He has everything." Barcelona team-mate Xavi, May 2009.

Trivia: Iniesta's hero is former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Denmark star Michael Laudrup, who was a key figure in Johan Cruyff's 'Dream Team' at the Nou Camp in the early 90s, as revealed on his bizarre official website: www.andresiniesta.es

Zinedine Zidane - The Maestro Of Decade

Zinedine Zidane - The Maestro Of Decade

Born: 23 June 1972
Birthplace: Marseille, France
Best known as: The MVP of World Cup 1998
A flashy midfielder, Zinedine Zidane won the Golden Ball as the most valuable player in the World Cups of 1998 and 2006. Zidane played his first professional First Division game for Cannes in 1991 and quickly rose through the professional ranks. He sealed his reputation by scoring two goals in the World Cup finals of 1998, helping France defeat Brazil to claim its first-ever World Cup championship. Zidane played for professional powerhouse Juventus from 1996 until 2001, when he was acquired by Real Madrid for 46 million pounds, a record fee. (By 2003 his teammates on Real Madrid included superstars David Beckham, Luis Figo and Ronaldo, among others.) Zidane was named FIFA player of the year in 1998, 2000, and 2003. He retired from professional soccer after leading France to the finals of the 2006 World Cup.

He was called in for 3 days at the sport regional centre in Aix-en-Provence, where Jean Varraud, Cannes' recruiter, noticed the French/Algerian player. He ventured off to Cannes for what was intended to be a six-week stay, but remained even longer. Playing with professionals at the age of 16, it would only be a matter of time when he too would turn pro, and he knew he was on his way to realizing his dreams.

Showing the determination of an athlete who wants to exceed expectations, Zidane had played his first game in First Division at the age of 17, and it was from then that football went from an ambition to a passion. The Cannes midfielder scored his first goal on February 8th, 1991 (he received a Clio as a promise from the Cannes President, who promised him a car when he scored his first goal as a professional), and his first season with the club was marked by a qualification for the UEFA Cup.

Iker Casillas - The Legend

Iker Casillas - The Legend

Full Name: Iker Casillas Fernandez
Birth date: May 20th, 1981
Birthplace: Móstoles, Madrid
Height: 185 cm (1m 85cm)
Weight: 70 kg

Horoscope: Taurus

Salary: 7.5 million Euros per year

Girlfriend: Sara Carbonero
Field position: Goal Keeper
First professional club: Sporting Clube de Portugal
Career debut: 1999, Real Madrid C
Current club: Real Madrid
International team: Spain

Captain of his country and a hero to a lot of Madridistas, Casillas also incorporates a strong claim to the title of the best goalkeeper of his generation. the real Madrid icon has won tournaments along with his country at Under-15, U-17 and U-19 level, however his crowning glory was lifting the monetary unit 2008 and tourney trophies in 2 stellar years.

Nicknamed San Iker ('Saint Iker') at Real Madrid, Casillas is a rare homegrown talent among a sea of galacticos having joined the club at the age of nine. He made his first-team debut under the current national coach, Vicente del Bosque, in the 1998-99 season and cemented his place the following year when becoming the youngest goalkeeper to appear in a Champions League final when beating Valencia just four days after his 19th birthday. A rare slump in form saw him dropped for the encounter with Bayer Leverkusen two years later but he appeared as a substitute in the second half in Glasgow and won the trophy for Real with a series of superb saves.

Casillas has been an established and respected member of the first XI ever since and has played a major role in Real's extensive success over the past decade - winning almost everything there is to win in the game.

He is Spain's most capped player, breaking the record held by the legendary Andoni Zubizarreta, and it will take some effort from his rivals for his position - the likes of Victor Valdes and Pepe Reina - to wrestle the national jersey off Casillas.

Strengths: As the last line of defence in a team that often pays scant regard to such an art, Casillas gets plenty of practice and frequently demonstrates his impressive reflexes, superb agility and innate ability to pull off a spectacular save. His forceful personality and will to win ensure he is a born leader.

Weaknesses: His aura of invincibility has been slightly dented due to a handful of mistakes and he can be slightly rash when rushing off his line.

Career high: Lifting the World Cup trophy at Soccer City in 2010.

Career low: A humbling experience at the Bernabeu last season when arch rivals Barcelona smashed six past Casillas in May in a game that effectively clinched the league title for the Catalans.

Style: Energetic, extravagant, commanding, a leader from the back.

Quotes: "Iker is the perfect captain. I'd give him ten out of ten for everything he does as a keeper, a captain and in the way he behaves. He sees everything so clearly. The whole squad deserve a ten but Casillas more than anyone. As the captain he's the one I speak to the most. He's a phenomenon." Luis Aragones, June 2008.

Trivia: Casillas is very superstitious and every time Real Madrid score a goal he has to touch his own crossbar.

Samuel Eto'o - The World's Highest Paid Football Player

Samuel Eto'o - The World's Highest Paid Football Player

Full Name: Samuel Eto'o

Birth date:  March 10, 1981
Birthplace: Douala Cameroon 
Height: 179 cm (1.79cm)
Weight: 75 kg

Horoscope: Pisces

Salary: $28.5 million per year

Girlfriend: Georgette Eto'o
Career debut: 1997 Cameroon
Current club: Anji Makhatchkala
International team: Cameroon

Biography

With lightning pace and a deadly eye for goal, Samuel Eto'o has established himself as one of the world's best strikers and is the highest paid player in the world after joining Russian side Anzhi on a three-year contract worth $28.8 million per season.

The Cameroon striker had a slow start to his career, struggling to make the grade as a youngster at Real Madrid, but after moving to Real Mallorca in 2000 he began to shine. He became the club's all-time leading domestic scorer in four years and earned himself a big money move to Barcelona.

It was at the Nou Camp that Eto'o elevated himself into the upper echelons of the world's best players, scoring for fun for the Catalans - with 125 strikes to his name in just 183 games. His impact was immediate as his goals helped Barca win the La Liga title in 2005 and then the Champions League in 2006. Injuries hampered his development, but Eto'o was imperious in the Catalans' treble winning 2008-09 season, netting 34 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions.

But with a plethora of talent around him, coach Pep Guardiola decided Eto'o was surplus to requirements and traded him in for Zlatan Ibrahimovich in a move that saw the Cameroon forward move to the San Siro, where he continued to display his scoring exploits in Serie A. Wanting a new challenge, he earned himself a lucrative move to cash-rich Anzhi, where he became the highest paid player in football.

At international level, Eto'o has excelled and is Cameroon's all-time leading scorer with 42 goals in 87 games. He got his first taste of World Cup football in 1998, making a single appearance as a substitute in Cameroon's 3-0 group stage defeat to Italy. But he quickly became an integral part of the Indomitable Lions team, scoring the winner in Cameroon's sole victory at the 2006 finals, against Saudi Arabia and winning the African Nations Cup in 2000 and 2002, as well as winning golden boot for being top scorer at both the 2006 and 2008 tournaments.

Strengths: Pace and finishing, Eto'o is an expert at getting on the shoulder of the last defender, accelerating away and showing great composure to score in one-on-one situations.

Weaknesses: Not the most technically gifted player, and has often been accused of getting easily frustrated and having a poor temperament. He was accused of being selfish by then Barca team-mate Ronaldinho.

Career High: Scoring in two Champions League finals for Barcelona. He netted the equaliser against Arsenal in the Catalans' 2006 win and the opener against Manchester United in the 2009 triumph.

Career Low: Being fined €12,000 for chanting "Madrid, cabron, saluda al campeon" (Spanish for 'Madrid, bastards, hail the champions') during a speech at the Nou Camp celebrating Barcelona's 2005 la Liga triumph.

Style: Prolific, pacey, strong and has world class finishing ability.

Quotes: "History shows that this club has had very few strikers like him. I do not know if there has ever been anyone like him before. What I do know is that Barcelona should erect a statue for him. Samuel was a fundamental player here in recent years and was key to all of the titles that the team won." Andres Iniesta, August 2009.

Trivia: To celebrate qualification for the 2010 finals, Eto'o bought each member of the Cameroon squad a £29,000 watch, with a dedication from him inscribed on the back.