Sir Alex went for a United legend and a fellow Scot. “Denis Law was my hero as a player. I idolized him. When I first met him I was so excited. It was at a game in Paris, he had played in the first half and we went for a cup of tea afterwards. I thought: ‘This is it, I’ve made it, I’m having a cup of tea with Denis Law!’ For me, he epitomized everything a Scotsman is about. He was daring and courageous, he had that bravado about him and he had style. He was a truly fantastic footballer.”
Jonny Evans, the defender, chooses ex-captain Roy Keane. “I reckon 80 per cent of young players who supported Manchester United when they were growing up would tell you Keano was their hero, just because of the way he was and the character he is. Keano was an awesome player and an incredible leader. I watched the Treble season as an 11-year-old in Belfast having supported United all my life, and can still see those images in my head of the Champions League semi-final against Juventus and how Keane totally changed the game. He grabbed the match by the scruff of the neck even though he knew he was suspended for the final.”
Gary Neville, the club captain, names Bryan Robson as his hero. “I always thought he was everything that a United player should be, and I still do. Even when I watch footage of him in action now, I always think of him giving everything for the cause at the defensive end of the pitch and then throwing everything at the ball to get it in the back of the net at the other end. Blood, guts and thunder, with real class as well. Don’t get me wrong - you've got to have skilful players like Giggs, Scholes, Cantona and all of those, but for me growing up it was always the Bryan Robson type player that I loved.”
John O’Shea went for a versatile Irishman: “Paul McGrath was a big favourite at United, but I watched him when he played for Ireland too. What I liked about him was he was as comfortable playing in midfield as he was at centre back. It wasn’t a problem to him. He was the versatile type. And not only did he have great ability, he was also very calm of the ball. He was a special player and someone who I admired.”
Rio says: “My inspiration to play football was probably Diego Maradona. He’s the first memory I have of someone doing something really great. I had all his videos and loved watching him. He was a great player – a great team player and a great individual player. In my eyes he’s the best. Maradona came down to Carrington to watch us train last season and we were all like school kids around him! I think the gaffer might like him to come down every day given the way it raised everyone’s standards – we were all trying to impress him! We were all clamouring to get pictures taken with him and it was nice to shake his hand and get a cuddle off him. It made my day.”
Tevez said: “Maradona is the greatest player of all time. Diego, for all Argentinians, is God. And he always will be. I have a great relationship with Diego. My family also has a great relationship with his family and a I have a really, genuinely warm bond with him. The first time I met him was a Sunday afternoon and Boca Juniors had just drawn 2-2 with San Lorenzo. I went to a TVF show afterwards and he was also appearing as a guest. What can I say? It was just a fantastic feeling to meet el Diego, the man. It was incredible for someone who grew up worshipping him!”
Rooney said: “My favourite player is Maradona. I’ve watched lots of videos of him in action and I just love the way he played. In my eyes he’s the best player of all time.”
Ryan Giggs picked Maradona but also John Barnes of Liverpool. “I always used to look out for left footers and John Barnes and Diego Maradona were always the ones that I looked up to when I was a kid. Barnes because he played in the same position as me – whenever Liverpool played United in the 80’s I’d watch John Barnes pretty closely. During that period, at the end of the late 1980’s he was probably the best and most exciting player in Britain. And Maradona just because he was such a great player. I remember Maradona in the 1986 World Cup. That goal he scored against England – not that Hand of God goal – was absolutely amazing.”
Anderson chose fellow-Brazilians: “I’ve always been a big admirer of Rivaldo for his technique, his passing and his aggressive way of playing an I’m a huge fan of Ronaldinho. They are both excellent with the ball at their feet – the way they treat the ball is fantastic. I’m sure they will be remembered in football history for many years to come.”
Rafael Da Silva selected Roberto Carlos, the former Brazil and real Madrid defender. "He won three World Cups and did well in Europe even though he was small. Some players coming from Brazil don’t succeed in Europe but he was successful for a long time.”
Darren Fletcher also picked a player who played for Real, Fernando Redondo, the Argentina midfield player: “Fernando Redondo was a brilliant central midfielder and that’s where I always played when I was growing up. He’s a player who caught my eye from a young age. I loved the way he played, how he sat in midfield and controlled the game. He sprayed passes around and was very intelligent on the ball. He was also good at breaking up opposition attacks and could be physical if necessary.”
Edwin van der Sar picked a fellow Dutchman, but not a goalkeeper: “I didn’t really have a hero growing up but the player who stood out for me as I became older was Marco van Basten.”
Ben Foster, though, chose an Old Trafford goalkeeping hero: “Peter Schmeichel was the player I looked up to. He was a cut above the rest in his era and he changed the face of goalkeeping, I still try to model myself on him and use aspects of his game in mine. He produced some unbelievable saves – I still watch a lot of them again on YouTube. One that sticks out is the starfish jump to deny Zamorano in the Champions League win over Inter in 1999. That moment summed him up – he was unbelievable at times.”
Federico Macheda named Marco van Basten and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. “They’re both good players and very strong on the ball. They are the type of forwards who I look up to - strong and skilful. They’re two of the best strikers ever, in my opinion.”
Dimitar Berbatov names a trio of heroes: Ivan Berbatov, Marco van Basten and Alan Shearer. “There are three players I really looked up to when I was a kid. My father, Ivan taught me a lot so I have a lot to thank him for. The others were van Basten and Alan Shearer. When you hear these names _ maybe not my father – van Basten and Shearer you don’t need to be told why they were great players. They scored goals and played magnificent football, they were the best. But I didn’t ever try to copy them because you must have your own style of playing. If you start copying someone I don’t thinkl it will be you. You must stay with what you have. Sometimes I watch the videos just to remind me of how good they were.”
Ji-sung Park said: “When I was young I looked up to Dunga, the Brazilian, as well as Korean midfielder Jung-hwan Yoon. As a kid I played in the same position as Dunga, so I admired him because of that. If he was on the pitch people believed the team would win. I liked the way he inspired everyone and I wanted to do the same.”
Danny Welbeck said: “When I was younger my hero was Thierry Henry. I just wanted to be doing the stuff he was doing, he was quality. I love Kaka, Rooney and Ronaldo as well. “
Michael Carrick selects Peter Beardsley, Paul Gascoigne and Ian Wright. “I had a few heroes for different reasons. Peter Beardsley was a big favourite. I followed Newcastle as a young lad and I just loved the way he played the game. Paul Gascoigne was an unbelievable player – an absolute genius, in fact. Ian Wright was someone else who I enjoyed watching, more for his goal celebrations than anything else!”
Cheetahs, dreams, and gullibility. With a dash of Muppets. ANOTHER! (c)
пара слов..
TORCHWOOD. обоже, эта трава началась. просто статус из контакта: "bloody hell. Torchwood 301 *собираю остатки мозга после взрыва в желудке Джека *" я не знаю, что вразумительного сказать по поводу серии. под конец у меня зашкалил адреналин
Cheetahs, dreams, and gullibility. With a dash of Muppets. ANOTHER! (c)
Да, о Бримсоне. Выдержки и цитаты, пополняются по мере прочтения.
"Если вы сторонник политкорректности или считаете, что у баб такое же право, как и у мужиков, приходить на футбол и занимать места на трибунах за воротами, можете проваливать прямо сейчас". Я считаю! И буду занимать места за воротами. И никакой Дуги меня не выгонит "...быть женоненавистником, хамом и высокомерным типом - это и значит быть настоящим мужиком". Кстати, в начала книги: "Появление этой книги на свет стало возможным благодаря любви и поддержке моей жены, Тины, и моих детей - Ребекки, Кейли и Бена"
"Знаете, если вы считаете, что словам "Оазис" и "настоящий мужик" есть место хотя бы в одном предложении, то вас нужно изолировать от общества и отстрелить. Если кто-то хамит всем подряд, восхваляет наркотики, пьянствует и устраивает погромы в гостиничных номерах - это еще не значит, что он настоящий мужик. Это значит, что он идиот. Ладно, пусть талантливый, но все равно идиот" "...вас как футбольного болельщика не волнует, каковы успехи английских клубов в Европе или кто будет забивать в английской сборной, вас интересует только ваша любимая команда, больше никто и ничто" "..будучи новичком в мире настоящих мужчин, вы должны понимать, что самое ужасное оскорбление для всякого любителя футбола - если его назовут новомодником, "креслом", или, хуже того, охотником за славой. Взгляните только, как достается за подобное болельщикам "Манчестер Юнайтед". Если вы признаетесь, что болеете за этот клуб, как сразу навлечете на себя презрение болельщиков всех остальных клубов Британии, всех до единого. И в свою очередь такое признание означает, что если вы истинный болельщик "Юнайтед" в отличие от кресельного, то вы должны обоснованно объяснить, почему вы за них болеете" "...за какую бы команды вы ни решились болеть.., после того как вы сделали выбор, ничего изменить уже нельзя. ... потому что второго шанса не будет" "...если вы решили болеть не за клуб, а за национальную сборную. Но данные случаи очень редки и поощрять их не следует, потому что отговорками подобного рода в основном пользуется лишь горстка извращенцев... если вам когда нибудь встретятся, безжалостно смейтесь над ними" "Сделав свой главный выбор, вы просто обязаны страстно ненавидеть все остальные клубы и их болельщиков. Но если вы болеете за клуб вроде "Манчестер Сити", такая жизнь может повергнуть вас в глубочайшее уныние, и крайне важно, чтобы у вас была про запас хоть какая-то капля надежды, и для этого существует ваша вторая любимая команда. У всех болельщиков есть такая слабость: симпатия еще к одному клубу; ... Однако здесь речь не идет о любви на всю жизнь", и вам позволено время от времени менять предпочтения......... выслушав объявление результат матча, вы можете сказать: "По крайней мере Барнсли выиграл", - и это, быть может, вас приободрит (а может и нет)" "... да, дальше идут парни. Это в общем-то все остальные ребята в возрасте от 15 до 30, такие же горячик и горластые, как настоящие мужики, только они приходят на футбол, облачившись в Adidas, Elesse, Umbro, а не Duffer, Timberland, Stone Island. Но их главное отличие: парни еще не осознали, что они, то есть болельщики, для команды гораздо важнее, чем сами игроки." "... футбол - смысл жизни любого мужика. Наяву футбол, во сне футбол, наше все - футбол, и если можешь - играй. Когда мы смотрим игру, переживаем всю гамму чувств, но в самой глубине души всегда есть крупица досады. Досада - оттого, что если бы мы в детстве не упустили свой шанс, то могли бы сейчас быть на поле, и остальные неудачники болели бы за нас. А у женщин все не так..."Как же глубоко ты ошибаешься!))) ".. мужики их (игроков) просто терпят - и то лишь до тех пор пока те носят клубную форму" меня не слушаете, бримсона послушайте. и то, у бримсона в уотфорде нет таких легенд как у нас, так что можно делать поправку на некоторых людей (которых мало)
Cheetahs, dreams, and gullibility. With a dash of Muppets. ANOTHER! (c)
"I suppose this season will go down as the one in which we competed seriosly for five trophies. I don't know how you as supporters viewed our chances but I for one never surscribed to the idea that we could sweep the board.... .... At times the team may send some of you into cardiac arrest, including me! But it's always fantastic to watch" Sir Alex Fergusson, One United Magazine.