MEET football’s odd couples – players you’d probably forgotten were once team-mates.
These stars’ paths crossed at different times in their careers, often when one was a legend and another was rising through the ranks.
They include an England legend playing alongside a Premier League manager, a Ballon d’Or winner and a Man Utd midfielder.
In case you’d forgotten, let us guide you through the unlikely pairings…
Moyes and Beckham
Back in the 1994-95 season, David Moyes was player/assistant coach at Preston.
Looking for more quality in midfield, they loaned teenage Becks from Man Utd.
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He would play five times for the club, with one of his goals being a trademark free-kick.
According to reports, Moyes almost squashed Beckham in the celebrations.
Guardiola and Baggio
In 2001, following a long association with Barcelona, Guardiola made Serie A minnows Brescia his unlikely destination.
The reason; he wanted to play alongside hero Roberto Baggio.
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However, it hardly worked out for them with Guardiola missing four months of the campaign and Baggio suffering injuries too.
Fittingly, though, when Baggio came on as a sub in one match – Pep who was captain at the time – ran over to his hero and put the captain’s armband on the Italy legend.
Cole and Maddison
Many may have forgot Joe Cole’s spell at Coventry City from 2015-16.
But, it rubbed off on James Maddison who loved playing alongside the ex-England star.
The teenage Maddison would go on to play for Norwich in 2016.
Not before he admitted he was able to pick Cole’s brain for advice.
Rivaldo and Casemiro
Astonishingly, you wouldn’t have thought it possible.
Even more so knowing that Rivaldo was 38 at the time he was playing for Sao Paulo in Brazil.
Casemiro was only in his second season as a pro as an 18-year-old.
But already he was a regular in the midfield for the Brazilians.
Dyche and Young
Dyche was in the latter stages of his career at Watford, who he played for between 2002-2005.
Starring in the youth team and handed his debut with the Hornets in 2003 was future star Ashley Young.
Dyche would finish his career at Northampton Town.
Young would go to bigger things at Man Utd.
Dichio and Veron
In the summer of 1997, with Serie A arguably the biggest league in the world, Sampdoria surprised everyone by signing ex-QPR centre forward Danny Dichio.
Tasked with providing him with the ammunition to score goals was none-other-than Juan Sebastian Veron.
The Argentine midfielder was a superstar in Serie A, before moving to our shores with Man Utd and Chelsea.
Dichio would return to the UK pretty swiftly, and provide stellar service at both Sunderland and West Brom.
Pochettino and Ronaldinho
Poch spent two-and-a-half years as a player at PSG between 2001-2003.
When he was at the Parc des Princes, there was a Brazilian maestro who was strutting his stuff on the European stage.
It was Ronaldinho, who would use the French club as a springboard to a move to Barcelona, where he won the Ballon d’Or.
Want to know something weirder? On the club’s books during that period were Jay-Jay Okocha, Mikel Arteta, Nicolas Anelka and Gabriel Heinze – who all would play in the Prem.
Ederson and Oblak
It’s enough having one of the best goalkeepers in the world in your squad – but imagine having two?
That’s the situation Rio Ave found themselves in 2012 – with Ederson 18 at the time and Oblak, 19, who arrived on loan from Benfica.
Both fought it out for the No1 jersey, with Oblak winning the battle.
The following season, they were first choice for their respective clubs.
Henry and Arne Riise
In Thierry Henry’s final season as a Monaco player, the principality club signed John Arne Riise from Aaslund in 1998.
Riise stayed at the club until 2001, but Henry would move to Juventus, flop, and become a superstar at Arsenal.
Incredibly, Monaco only finished fourth in Ligue 1 that campaign.
And they boasted some side – with Lilian Thuram, Fabien Barthez, David Trezeguet also first team stars.
Lafferty and Dybala
As unlikely a forward duo you will find, Northern Ireland football legend Kyle Lafferty spent one season with Palermo in 2013-2014.
The 6ft4in target man was the perfect foil for promising Argentina youngster Paolo Dybala, with the pair tearing up Serie B.
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Lafferty scored 12 goals and Dybala managed five – as they helped their side gain promotion to Serie A.
Joining those two in a front three, quite unbelievably, was Andrea Bellotti – a current Italy international.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
