One-club players are rare and precious.
The likes of Paolo Maldini, Raul, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes might be handsomely paid by their clubs, but the fact they have spurned chances to get even richer elsewhere suggests they share at least some of the fans’ devotion to the colours they wear.
Inter Milan’s Patrick Vieira recognised this recently when talking about his former Juventus team mate Alessandro Del Piero.
“What I like about him, and envy a little, is that he has played all his career for the same team and won everything with that team,” Vieira told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Indeed, Del Piero has a good claim to being the world’s top one-club man.
Five Serie A titles and a Champions League are part of the 34-year-old’s trophy haul at Juventus. He also holds the Turin club’s record for appearances and goals — he netted his 250th for Juve in Saturday’s 4-0 win at Reggina.
AC Milan’s Maldini has more Serie A and Italy appearances than Del Piero, Real Madrid’s Raul has scored more European goals and both have won more Champions Leagues, as have Scholes and his Manchester United team mate Ryan Giggs.
Del Piero probably trumps them all though because he has a World Cup-winner’s medal in his cabinet.
What’s more, Del Piero gets bonus club-loyalty points because he stuck with Juve when they were relegated for match-fixing in 2006, scoring 21 goals to help them to immediate promotion and finding the net as many times last season to fire them to a third-place finish on their return to the top flight.
Sticklers might argue that, strictly speaking, Del Piero is not a one-club man. He also played for Padova in Serie B before joining Juve in 1993, but I think it would be churlish to count a few seasons outside the big time when he was a teenager (if you’re too rigid Raul would fail the one-club test too as he played for Atletico Madrid’s academy before it was closed and he moved across town).
Nevertheless, my vote does not go to Alex but to another 2006 World Cup winner, AS Roma’s Francesco Totti.
Del Piero is a wonderful player but he has a tendency to blow hot and cold, while Totti has consistently been excellent in Serie A when fit.
And, unlike the other footballers I’ve mentioned, Totti did not have the fortune to start his career at a club regularly vying for domestic and European trophies.
He has less honours to his name, but only because he stayed true to Roma rather than succumbing to the courtship of clubs such as Real and Milan. In my book that sacrifice more than makes up for the European club trophy missing from his CV.
And if Roma are now a force to be reckoned with outside Italy, Totti deserves a large slice of the credit.
What do you think? Who would you give the top one-club player award to? Is there anyone I have overlooked altogether who’s more worthy?
PHOTO: Juve’s Alessandro Del Piero celebrates after scoring as AS Roma’s Francesco Totti watches during their Serie A match in Turin Feb. 16, 2008. REUTERS/Max Rossi
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Nachiket,
- Posted by Paul VirgoI don’t think we can count Bergkamp as a one-club player, although I like him too. He also played for Ajax and Inter Milan before his long, prolific stint at Arsenal.
Real Madrid’s Raul started in the Atletico Madrid youth teams but when they were shut down joined Real’s youth set up and went on debut with them at 17.
- Posted by MarkNow captain, he’s still plugging away at 31 with 3 European Cups, and 6 league titles under belt. That’s tough to beat.
My vote would always go to former Gunner, Dennis Bergkamp. Del Piero, Totti, Stevie G, Carragher et all are good no doubt, but Bergkamp would win by miles.
- Posted by NachiketOh and Carragher?? Gary Neville in this category over him any day, Gary’s also got a lot more medals to show as well.
- Posted by DarylCantona played for a lot of clubs.
Has to be Scholes, ran that midfield along with Keano and still does when fit. Always a model pro, quite and unassuming off the pitch and never one to look for money or fame. He even hung up his England boots earl for United. Then of course the goal against Barca… can still point out my seat where I saw that from.
There’s a reason Rooney said he’s the best player he’s ever played with….he.s pure quality.
- Posted by DarykCantona was for Auxerre, Martigues, Marseille, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nîmes, Leeds et Man Utd…..John Terry in some time.
- Posted by ClaudeERIC CANTONA!
- Posted by andyTony Adams!
- Posted by mark hMY VOTE HAS TO GO TO THE ONE AND ONLY RONALDO
HE IS MAN UTD THROUGH AND THROUGH NO MATTER WHAT CRAP THE PAPERS PRINT
YOU CANT TAKE IT FROM HIM HE IS THE WORLDS MOST TALENTED PLAYER AND EVEN GOOD OLD PELE SAYS SO HIMSELF
- Posted by RONjamie carragher gets my vote by miles,cmon prove me wrong
- Posted by cejay jonesI really cant choose because i have 3 men in mind and they are all great footballers and are all one club men. Totti, Del Peiro, and Giggs. Totti because he stuck with AS Roma even though they werent a bib club back in the day / now they are because of him. Del Peiro for not leaving the club after getting relegated when he could have easily went anywhere else. And Giggs for sticking it out with Man Utd all those yrs.
- Posted by KennyHas to be Stevie G. Simply because he ain’t only a one club man, Liverpool have been a one man club almost since he started playing regularly.
- Posted by Steve BHe scores goooaaalllsss. Paul Schooooles, he scores gooaalllsss!!! Had it not been for Pauley, United may have not made it to Moscow last year (United vs. Barcelona ring a bell???). He’s our man. Hey may not be the best compared to Raul & Del Piero, but with a ton of domestic titles, FA Cups, & two European Cups to boot, he’s definitely etched his name in United folklore.
- Posted by Darren[...] to Source Share and [...]
- Posted by Who’s the best one-club player? | Soccer News InfoWell Del piero and Totti…Del piero because he didn’t leave the club when they relegated to Serie B and Totti because he sticked to the Roma and Roma is not a Big Team.
- Posted by Mr. McMazehYeah I think Del Piero is a mint a player!!
Think he will win!!!
- Posted by Dave Stopher[...] Reuters Soccer Blog » Blog Archive » Who’s the best one-club player? | Blogs | Maldini, Raul, Gerrard, Scholes, Vieira, Del Piero oder Totti? (tags: international italien england spanien) [...]
- Posted by links for 2008-12-04 | Du Gehst Niemals AlleinI would have to go with Francesco Totti. The fact that he stayed with AS ROMA and making them a major team in Seria A, that alone gives him my regards.
- Posted by TahaaDel Piero gets my vote as well. Not only did he go down to Serie B with Juve. He also improved his game when returning. What he now lacks in speed he makes up for with his other abilities. Forza Alex!!
- Posted by Nick[...] Source: Paul Virgo [...]
- Posted by Soccer Camps » Blog Archive » Who’s the best one-club player?