Footballers of the Decade

I know there are a lot of lists floating around at this time of the year but seeing as its the end of the decade I thought I'd post my personal top five of footballers from the last decade.

1. Zinedine Zidane

The mercurial Frenchmen will probably be remembered for his infamous headbutt during the 2006 World Cup Final which would be a shame because it means that one of the best footballers of his or any other generation is overlooked for what he did best - play football.

During the period 2000-2006 he won a league title with Real Madrid, as well as the Spanish Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, two Super Cups, the Spanish Cup and of course with France the 2000 European Championships. He also scored, for me at least, the best ever goal in a European Champions League Final. See it here complete with bonkers Spanish commentator.

2. Ruud Van Nistlerooy

You would have to have had a heart of concrete or be a Liverpool supporter not to have felt some sympathy for Ruud Van Nistlerooy when the cameras turned up to film him shortly before his proposed transfer from PSV to Manchester United in 2000 and saw him rupture his cruciate ligament live on SKY TV. The transfer was put back a year but when he arrived in the spring of 2001 United fans realised he had been worth waiting for. In five seasons at Old Trafford he scored 95 goals in 150 games before moving to his current club Real Madrid in July 2006. At the Bernabeu he has scored 46 goals in a mere 68 appearances. Five league titles spread between PSV, Manchester United and Real Madrid, in addition to which he has been the Champions League top scorer on three separate occasions. Here is one of his best for RM

3. Lionel Messi

Yes I know it's a no-brainer to pick "the Flea" but there are few footballers who get you to the edge of your seat and beyond as regularly as this little fella. I think that when considering the quality of a goal you should think about the opposition and the level of the game, after all we've all scored from thirty yards on the local park pitch. This goal I think will become the defining moment in the early part of his career.

4. Frank Lampard

It's not easy picking a Chelsea player, particularly one who began his career at Upton Park and then walked because of personal rather than football reasons. Fat Frank is the type of player who would improve the line-up of any side in the world and you rarely see him have a bad game for either club or country. Here's Frank scoring for Chelsea against Ipswich in last seasons F.A Cup

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

Another no-brainer but there's no doubt that the player most fans loved to hate over the last decade (sorry Robbie Savage if you are reading this but you were the second most hated) was something special when he was having a good day. This free kick against Portsmouth was simply stunning, and whilst Portsmouth might not be the best team in the world they did have England's goalkeeper in goal at the time. One of the best free kicks ever seen in the Premiership.