CalmJimmers Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Who were your favourite non-Wednesday players growing up and why? I was going to include national team players too but I think it really narrows the pool. Be interesting to hear what era everyone grew up in and how that influenced who you liked. I grew up in the 90s, so was the era of Championship Manager and other football video games, Italian football was at it's peak, France, Brazil and Germany were great, Panini stickers were swapped in the playground. My first memory of being wowed by a non-Wednesday player was Roberto Di Matteo for Chelsea when he scored inside the first minute in the FA Cup in 1997. I remember my uncle had invited my dad and me over to watch the game, and just thinking it must have been the fastest goal ever scored (it's always the fastest, or the best, or the hardest when you're a kid!). Was a wonder goal too, and with his cool name it just always stuck in my mind. The next two came around the same time in 1998. Michael Owen first. He was near enough 10 years older than me, had a baby-face and seemed like a kid playing with adults, but made them look stupid. I watched the WC in 98 and that goal against Argentina and just wanting to be him. Bought his boots and even the cereal he helped sponsor . I went with my dad to Milmoor to watch him play a youth England game, we were a bit late and he'd got sent off before I even saw him! Wes Brown was unreal that game from what I remember. Then obviously Ronaldo, the original. He had so much mystique about him, playing in Italy, it wasn't the time of YouTube so you saw him a bit on TV, but you mainly just heard about him, or played with him on CM. Watched him in the 98 WC and it was like watching a superhero, not like real life but a movie. It made the aura around him even greater about the final and him swallowing his tongue. I watch his videos now and realise he was probably even better than I remembered, but it was just the aura around him that made him my hero, even though I'd hardly seen him play! Who are yours? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OxonOwl Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Eddie Gray and Allan Clarke 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIG D Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 George Best, had a jigsaw and everything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skyline Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Real Ronaldo Rivaldo Henry Bergkamp Roberto Carlos Owen Just a few to name there. Probably to players I idolised the most as a kid. I remember a trip to the Nou Camp and I had my photo with Rivaldo. Had it framed and in my bedroom. Only it wasn't really a photo with Rivaldo. It was a photo of me that they put any player you wanted at the side of you 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridportOwl Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 I had a pet rat named Zico in the early 80's , but they was partly because of Mel as well. Always loved Gary Lineker. I was 10 years old in '86 and he was at the peak of his powers then for England. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scram Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 As a kid my favourite was Francis Lee 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beswetherick Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 30 minutes ago, CalmJimmers said: Who were your favourite non-Wednesday players growing up and why? I was going to include national team players too but I think it really narrows the pool. Be interesting to hear what era everyone grew up in and how that influenced who you liked. I grew up in the 90s, so was the era of Championship Manager and other football video games, Italian football was at it's peak, France, Brazil and Germany were great, Panini stickers were swapped in the playground. My first memory of being wowed by a non-Wednesday player was Roberto Di Matteo for Chelsea when he scored inside the first minute in the FA Cup in 1997. I remember my uncle had invited my dad and me over to watch the game, and just thinking it must have been the fastest goal ever scored (it's always the fastest, or the best, or the hardest when you're a kid!). Was a wonder goal too, and with his cool name it just always stuck in my mind. The next two came around the same time in 1998. Michael Owen first. He was near enough 10 years older than me, had a baby-face and seemed like a kid playing with adults, but made them look stupid. I watched the WC in 98 and that goal against Argentina and just wanting to be him. Bought his boots and even the cereal he helped sponsor . I went with my dad to Milmoor to watch him play a youth England game, we were a bit late and he'd got sent off before I even saw him! Wes Brown was unreal that game from what I remember. Then obviously Ronaldo, the original. He had so much mystique about him, playing in Italy, it wasn't the time of YouTube so you saw him a bit on TV, but you mainly just heard about him, or played with him on CM. Watched him in the 98 WC and it was like watching a superhero, not like real life but a movie. It made the aura around him even greater about the final and him swallowing his tongue. I watch his videos now and realise he was probably even better than I remembered, but it was just the aura around him that made him my hero, even though I'd hardly seen him play! Who are yours? We’re a similar age I think. I was also at that England U17 game where Owen got sent off… can’t remember how Wes Brown played but I do remember being absolutely bloody freezing! Favourite player as a kid was Shearer. I’m from a family of Geordies, no further explanation required. Also liked Zidane and Del Piero cos I had a Juve shirt that was about 6 sizes too big for me and watched Gazzetta Italia religiously. You’re absolutely spot on about the aura of the original Ronaldo around France 98, reckon a lot of it was due to this advert as well as whatever happened on the day of the final 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quickly Kevin Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Gabriel Batistuta was a proper striker when Italian Football was at its peak. That goal v Arsenal at Wembley is one that stands out. Jurgen Klinsmann and will never forget his debut at Hillsborough. Roberto Baggio and for a while Schillaci. Proper Ronaldo was a phenonemen. Les Ferdinand and David Ginola from that Newcastle team of mid 90's. Prob a few more. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kopparberg Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Guti (Real Madrid) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ever the pessimist Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Roberto Baggio 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighworthOwl Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Bergkamp 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcmigo Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Bergkamp. bit later I loved those crafty scheming players that were usually not at the top teams. tugay berkovic pahars 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiJ Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Good question. I'd probably have to say Henry. I just think he's the greatest player the PL has ever seen tbh. A few years later, it would probably have to be Iniesta. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beighton Owl 87 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 A few England players for me growing up. Shearer from Euro 96 then Owen and Beckham from France 98. Best premier league player for me was Henry in the early 2000s. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CalmJimmers Posted July 4, 2022 Author Share Posted July 4, 2022 2 hours ago, beswetherick said: We’re a similar age I think. I was also at that England U17 game where Owen got sent off… can’t remember how Wes Brown played but I do remember being absolutely bloody freezing! Favourite player as a kid was Shearer. I’m from a family of Geordies, no further explanation required. Also liked Zidane and Del Piero cos I had a Juve shirt that was about 6 sizes too big for me and watched Gazzetta Italia religiously. You’re absolutely spot on about the aura of the original Ronaldo around France 98, reckon a lot of it was due to this advert as well as whatever happened on the day of the final Iconic advert! Nike did some class ones back in the day. I remember this one below, getting the CD and blasting it on a CD player whilst booting balls at our garage. https://youtu.be/8TXPI7Vur1Y Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
areNOTwhatTHEYseem Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Le Tissier was great - used to love watching him on Match Of The Day as a kid. He always seemed to do something special. Brazilian Ronaldo was incredible - I had a friend who used to record games off Sky and we'd rewatch them just to see how good he was. He seemed superhuman. Bergkamp was a favourite, too - an absolute magician with the ball. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sham67 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Bobby Charlton Bobby Moore Chico Hamilton (pre 1976) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spuddy01 Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 As a kid it was Gazza, unbelievable player, everything was just natural to him. As others have said though, the original Ronaldo was just brilliant, absolutely unplayable when he was at his peak, remember watching a champions league game at Old Trafford when he played for Barca and he totally ripped Man U apart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alanharper Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 Zico (the Brazilian one!) I got into football in 1981, and there wasn't much live football on back then so the 1982 World Cup was incredible for this 10 year old. The Brazil team was an absolute joy to watch, I'd never seen football like that before, yet somehow they didn't even make the semis. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighworthOwl Posted July 4, 2022 Share Posted July 4, 2022 I loved Romario too. This tiny guy built like a bull who would just bounce through the opposition then apply a deadly finish. Michael Laudrup was also pure class. It just looked effortless. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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