Goalkeeper: Oliver Kahn
“I believe that something in the energy that he brought to the pitch and how he always knew how to push his team forward, showed a tremendous amount leadership, plus of course his play on the field is why I chose him. He was incredible at the 2002 World Cup and even though I was very young at the time and I believe this was his final World Cup if I remember correctly, it’s one tournament that’s hard to forget.”
Defender: Carlos Puyol
“This is my favorite player. The way he battled, his character and professionalism are all characteristics that I can identify with. Of course, he was part of the great Barcelona team as well as the Spanish National Team, he knew how to be a winner and I can especially remember the goal he scored in the 2010 World Cup semifinal.”
50/50 Midfielder: Steven Gerrard
“Gerrard is yet another player that offers a number of different characteristics than the others that I have already chosen. They are all of the highest caliber, but they also have that something extra. He was a true leader both in terms of his play on the pitch with his amazing shot and the fact that he was a winner with the ability to score decisive goals. Gerrard also was able to push his teammates to be as best that they could be.”
Attacking midfielder: Ronaldinho
“The one and only. I’m not going to say anything new here, but the man was a magician and it was an amazing experience to see him dance around the pitch. You could see how much he enjoyed the game and how he took everything so positively with a smile and that’s without even mentioning his talent.”
Striker: Thierry Henry
“He was a player in a different class. The way he combined his speed and ball control was lethal and I can always remember the goals that he scored into the far corner. The way he would turn with the ball, there was nothing anyone could do against it. He was an amazing striker.”
