Top Ten Soccer Players of All Time

A list of this type wil invariably cause debate as the list is so subjective, but I have tried to be as objective as possible. The list includes players past and present. Although it is always better to have seen the players 'live' to form an opinion it is not really possible. My list draws on archive film and anecdotal evidence too.

1. PELE. I have no hesitation at all in picking my number one. For me Pele was the best all round player and in terms of longevity outstrips a lot of his competitors. He made his World Cup debut for Brazil in 1958 at the age of 17 and went on to represent his country in another four World Cup Finals. He scored over a 1000 goals in his career most of them for his Club Santos. For a medium sized man he was a great header of a ball and his ball skills were exceptional. A classy and talented player the likes of which i doubt we will ever see again.

2 .Ronaldhino. Picking the second best ever player was tough. I have plumped for Pele`s fellow countryman because of his inordinatre ball skills although many people have criticised him for his lack of team play. More restricted in his style than Pele, Ronaldhino was the type of player that always had something special up hi sleeve.One strike could turn a match. Playing in Europe rather than his native Brazil may have impacted on his game as the more physical types of players often marked him out..

3. Alfredo di Stefano. Another South American makes it into the top ten. Argentinian by birth Alfredo played most of his career for the famous 1950s Real Madrid team. A fantastic striker of the ball he scored many goals for his club side as they dominated the European Cup in its infancy. Less of am all round player than Pele nonetheless he stands out as one of the best specialist strikers in world football.I have only seen him play on newsreeels but the speed of his feet allowing for the fact he played with much heavier boots and of course the old leather case balls makes him stand out all the more. If you can watch the Real Madrid v Frankfurt European Cup final to get a glimpse of his silky skills.

4. Johan Cruyf. The first European to make my list Cruyf stood out as the star player of the 70s making his name on the international scene with his performances with Holland in the 1974 and 1978 world cups. He also played for Ajax winning European Trophies and the star studded Barcelona side who he later went onto manage. Tall and rangey in physique he perfected a move that lots of children copied where he dragged the ball round the back with his trailing leg.This in fact you could say was his trademark. He had great ball control and vision scoring goals and making lots too from the midfield.

5. Ferenc Puskas. Another European makes the list. Puskas was a native Hungarian but plyed his trade with the legendary 1950s Real Madrid team. He was a partner up front with Alfredo Di Stefano and had a pwerful shot. He was a member of the talented Hungarian national side that caused such an upset in the 50s when they demolished an England team which included such famous names as Stanley Matthews and Natt Lofthouse in their ranks.

6. Maradona. Yet another Argentinian makes the list. Some have argued Maradona was on a par or even better than Pele. Personally i have him at number 5 because he was a bit of an in and out player. Very talented on the ball but for me nowhere near the all round player that Pele was. Maradona flattered to deceive too much for my liking. Remembered for his fantastic goal against England in the World Cup when he beat about 5 players and coverd about 40 yards before scoring he is also infanous for his " Hand of God" goal funnily enougfh also against England. His club career in Europe was not particularly outstanding p[ossibly becasue he didnt play for one of the Europena giants. Napoli signed him as a big name but he never really hit the heights of Pele or Di Stefano.

7.George Best. The first British player to be listed here. Most people are of the opinion he was the best British player ever . Quite a compliment given Briitain has produced so many top players. For me, George Best was the best ball player and entertainer we have ever seen. Very slight in stature Best made up for this with his quick turn of pace and a knack of twisting and turning round his oponents. He scored one of the goals in Manchester United`s European Cup triumph against Benfica in 1968. Best never got the chance really to star on the world stage because of his nationality, Northern Ireland being only a small country, never really figured in World Cup Finals. He was the star palyer with Manchester United though and was lucky enough to play with top players like Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. He would have figured higher in my list but his career was short lived . He liked the lifestyle that being a footballer gave him and was lost to the game at an early age when he had so much more to give in his career. There are similarities to Maradona`s career in this respect.

8. Franz Beckenbauer. Franz Bekenbauer just about edges Bobby Moore from my list. They both played in similar positions both for club and country and were of the same era, both being captains of their respective countries in the 1966 World Cup Final played at Wembley. Beckenbauer was the ultimate midfielder. He could play as a sweeper or as a holding midfield player. He was an inspiration and model professional too as was Bobby Moore. He wins out here though because of his outstanding performance for Germany in an era when they dominated the World Cup. He was also the captain of the great Bayern Munich team of the 70s.

9. Stanley Matthews. Stanley Matthews was the star player of his era along with Tom Finney. Matthews was predominantly a wing player with great ball control and speed of foot. He scored goals too and will always be remembered for the great comeback in the 1953 FA Cup Final for his club side Blackpool. At his best in the late 40s to mid 50s he only played for two club sides, Blackpool and Stoke. He was still playing professional football at the age of 50 in the top division Matthews was famous the world over. He ran soccer schools in the less developed countries well into his latter years.

10. Zinedine Zidane. Zidane makes number 10. In the last 5 years of his career he was the star player for Real Madrid and his country France. A world Cup winner with France he was a forward who could hold up the ball and had a terrific eye for goal. Native to Algeria and from a very poor background like lots of top players from the past, Zidane was the inspiration for the emergence of France as world footballing power. Prior to the 1990s France had never really achieved at world level.

Well that's it my top ten. I must apologise to all the great players who never made my top ten. The problem with picking the best is, what criteria do you use? Lots of top players are specialist to their positions. I have tried to list players with a little more to their game although there are some great individuals who would certainly be counted in the top ten in the world if it was just about ball skill. My apologies then to the following greats. Platini, Netzer, Henry, Finney, Lofthouse, Kempes, Ardiles, Moore, Law, Greaves, Rush, Dalglish, Von Bommel, Emmerich, Rep, Rensenbrink, Cooman, Cohen, Wilson, Dean, Charlton, Garincha, Rivelino, Ronaldo, Pasarella, Yashin, Suker, Muller, Gerson and many many more.