Although in recent years we have seen a growing number of
super talents in this position such as Gareth Bale, Frank Ribery and Eden
Hazard, none of these players are currently on par with the individuals in this
list.
Each of the following left-wingers is renowned for their
sustained pace, crossing and dribbling abilities over a successful football
career, which separates them from the rest.
1.
Francisco Gento (Racing Santander, Real Madrid & Spain)
Easily one of the most successful footballing individuals
ever, Gento is fully deserving of his place as the greatest left-midfielder
ever.
He was supremely quick and could run the 100m in 11
seconds. This, combined with the Spaniard's dancing feet and goal-scoring
prowess, highlights exactly why he gained a still unmatched record of six
European Cups to his name. As well as this, Gento earned12 Spanish league
titles (in 16 years) and two Spanish Cups.
This superstar was a major part in one of the most
attacking trios ever to grace a football field, playing alongside Ferenc Puskas
and Alfredo Di Stefano. In total, Gento made 592 league appearances for Real
Madrid (scoring 128) and also has 43 caps for Spain.
2.
Ryan Giggs (Manchester United & Wales)
The Manchester United legend is considered, by many, to
be a freak of nature due to his incredible ability to stand the test of time
and continue to deliver superb performances, even at the ripe old age of 39.
In his 23 year Premier League career, the Welshman has
won a plethora of trophies and is the most decorated player in English history,
bar none.
In total he has gained 13 Premier League titles, eight
Community Shields, four FA Cups, four League Cups and two Champions League
titles.
Giggs also holds the record for most Premier League
appearances and assists and is also the only player to have scored in every
single consecutive Premier League season, a feat that no one will ever achieve
again.
3.
George Best (Manchester United, Fulham. etc & Northern Ireland)
Although Best played in many different countries across,
England, Ireland, Scotland and America, he is most fondly remembered at
Manchester United, where he became one of the greatest talents of his entire
generation.
His primary attributes were his ability to beat defenders
with trickery, pace and skill, which often resulted in a goal, due to his
proficiency in one-on-one situations.
Although he suffered from personal demons off the field,
when he was on it, he was simply in another class to his opponents.
In total he scored
137 goals in 361 league appearances for United.
4.
Roberto Rivelino (Corinthians, Fluminese, Al-Hilal & Brazil)
The moustached midfielder was one of the stars of what is
widely considered to the greatest international team ever assembled: Brazil's
1970 World Cup squad.
Inventor of the 'flip flap' trick, he had a phenomenally
powerful free-kick, excellent technical ability and superb passing range.
Rivelino also holds the record for quickest goal in
history, after scoring from the centre-kick at the start of the game.
5.
Pavel Nedved (Sparta Prague, Lazio, Juventus & Czech Republic)
Nedved was an absolute magician on the ball and continued
to make tireless bombing runs down the left wing throughout his career.
At club level, the blonde winger made 500 appearances,
scoring 110 goals in total.
He earnt three Czech titles, three Serie A titles and two
Italian Cups.
Nedved was also an international sensation, gaining 91
caps for the Czech Republic, hitting the net 18 times in the process. Finally,
in 2003, Nedved won the Ballon d'Or trophy.
It has been very difficult to select just five
individuals to make up this list, meaning that there are several notable
players who deserve honourable mentions.
Zoltan Czibor, Gheorge Hagi and John Barnes are
particularly noteworthy and could easily have made this list. However, we would
like to hear your views on this highly contentious subject.
Leave your
comments below.
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