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    Chelsea icon Vialli was determined to banish stereotype of wealthy upbringing and proved to be charming and personable

    GIANLUCA VIALLI could have settled for a life of comfort.Instead, he dived into the deep end, swimming with the sharks and fishes of football.
    Chelsea legend Gianluca Vialli was a charming and personable manCredit: Getty
    And while his flame has been doused prematurely, at the age of just 58, for those who watched him or got to know him in even the smallest of ways, the light will always burn.
    With many of football’s greats, the back story is similar.
    A way out of poverty, the street footballer from a humble background, who fought his way up from the ghetto.
    But Vialli’s story, although completely different, was all about the same steadfast desire to prove himself.
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    It was not poverty that drove Vialli to make it on the field. It was wealth. Or the desperation to show he was there despite his background, not because of it.
    After all, when you grow up in a 60-room castle with a history going back over 600 years, you know that you have been handed a gilded life.
    Vialli, always a slow, deliberate speaker, with a ready smile – and a fag in hand – was determined to live down the stereotype.
    He did it the only way you can on the football pitch – through sheer hard work.
    Most read in Football
    Vialli was determined to banish stereotypes over his wealthy upbringing through hard workCredit: Reuters
    Having joined his home town club Cremona – close to that Castello di Belgioioso where his millionaire father had established a home – at 16, he swiftly established himself as a potential star.
    That was due to a work ethic that stood out, even from the start of his career, a player happy to sacrifice himself for the team.
    Success followed. And in 1984, when he was signed by Sampdoria, it was to also prove the start of a lifelong friendship with strike partner Roberto Mancini.
    The duo were inseparable and led Samp to the club’s greatest era, including the Serie A title in 1990-91, three Coppa Italia victories and the European Cup Final at Wembley in 1992, where only Ronald Koeman’s famed long-range free-kick could deny them the ultimate club triumph.
    It was to prove the end of Vialli’s Sampdoria career, opening the way for another successful move to Juventus, ending in him finally getting his hands on “the Cup with the Big Ears” with a shoot-out win over holders Ajax in 1996.
    Yet it was his next, shock, move, to Chelsea on a free transfer, that sealed Vialli’s reputation in England.
    Signed as part of a renovation of the club by owner Ken Bates and his chief lieutenant Colin Hutchinson, Vialli was expected to be a key part of Ruud Gullit’s side.
    It did not quite turn out that way, with Vialli often cutting a frustrated figure on the bench as Gullit preferred to pair another shock recruit from Italy – Gianfranco Zola – with Mark Hughes.
    A TRUE BLUE
    Of all the images that summed up the initial Chelsea incarnation of Vialli, it was his slalom run, on a snow-covered arctic circle pitch in Tromso, to score a terrific goal when many – including the manager who had damaged ankle tendons when kicking a rock that he thought was just a giant snowball – were barely able to stand.
    But it was his ability to stay on his feet and negotiate the tricky internal politics of The Blues that saw Vialli elevated to the top job when Gullit was sacked after playing himself at centre-back in a League Cup semi-final first leg defeat at Arsenal.
    Vialli has been among the chief agitators against Gullit’s aloofness although it was the club that approached him out of the blue to ask if he wanted the job.
    Suddenly, Vialli was in the spotlight for different reasons.
    Yet throughout, even when the heat was on, he remained charming, personable, utterly decent. Basically, despite feeling the strain at times, remaining himself.
    His first pre-match dressing room pep talk, ahead of the second leg against Arsenal, was pure Vialli – handing each of his players a glass of bubbly. 
    Within weeks of his appointment, Vialli had guided the team to a League Cup Final win over Middlesbrough, following that when Zola – whose relationship with his now-manager became strained – came off the bench to score the Cup Winners Cup winner against Stuttgart in Stockholm.
    But despite landing the FA Cup in the last Final at the original Wembley in 2000, the ice was getting thinner – and even an artist like Vialli could not skate on it forever.
    LUST FOR LIFE
    Five games into the new season, he was gone. Vialli recalled: “I drove from the training ground to visit the board and when I arrived they asked to sit down. 
    “I was thinking of how much money to ask for, one or two million pounds.
    “Instead, Colin Hutchinson said, ‘You once told me that after three years you either have to change the manager or all the players. We decided to change the manager.’”
    It was the effective end of Vialli’s top tier club career, with a brief spell in charge of Watford ending in a serious contract dispute.
    But not the end of Vialli’s lust for life, his ready smile, his essential decency – and his willingness to chat with anybody who shared his love of the game.
    Vialli stayed in London for the next two decades, loving the feel of his adopted home, working as a TV pundit and setting up a sports investment company before the drawn-out battle against pancreatic cancer began in 2017.
    Initially, thanks to treatment at London’s Royal Marsden, Vialli seemed to be winning that battle, getting the all-clear in 2020, soon after joining up with Mancini as part of the Italy set-up.
    In his book “Goals”, a series of accounts of “inspirational stories”, Vialli explained: “Life is made 10 per cent by what happens to us and 90 per cent by the way we react to it; if we change the way we look at things, things begin to change.”
    Read More on The Sun
    Yet the cancer returned, even more aggressively, bringing Vialli’s life to an end today.
    Far too early. The sense of sadness will hang from Cremona to Stamford Bridge, and in many parts between. A good man, gone. More

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    Gianluca Vialli dead – Chelsea and Italy legend dies aged 58 after battle with cancer

    CHELSEA legend Gianluca Vialli has died at the age of 58 following a battle with cancer.Vialli, who enjoyed a glittering career with Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea and earned 59 caps for Italy, was diagnosed in 2017.
    Chelsea legend Gianluca Vialli has diedCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    Vialli was diagnosed with cancer in 2017Credit: Instagram @lucavialli
    He stepped down from his role with the Italian national team last monthCredit: PA
    The Italian was given the all-clear in 2020 but sadly his pancreatic cancer returned a year later.
    Last month he was forced to step away from his role with the Italian national team.
    Vialli’s mother, 87, rushed to be by his side in a London hospital after his condition reportedly worsened at the end of December.
    As the football world mourns, Chelsea FC described Vialli as a “legend” as they today led tributes.
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    The Italian won five trophies as manager at Stamford Bridge after replacing Ruud Gullit in 1998.
    The club tweeted: “You’ll be missed by so many. A legend to us and to all of football. Rest in peace, Gianluca Vialli.”
    Football analyst Chris Kamara wrote: “Devastated to hear the news.
    “RIP Luca – a fabulous career and a great fella. A wonderful life has been cut short. I am well and truly gutted.
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    “Gianluca Vialli it was an honour to have known you.”
    Vialli’s former club Juventus posted a picture of the former striker lifting the Champions League in 1996 with the message “Ciao Gianluca.”
    Ex-Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair hailed his former boss Vialli as “one of the nicest guys” he has met.
    He said: “Devastating news on the passing of Luca Vialli, one of the nicest guys I’ve met in the game, a great manager and team mate.”
    Former England striker Peter Crouch tweeted: “I’m genuinely gutted about this.
    “I had Sampdoria home and away shirt because of him. I tried to replicate his volleys in the park and such a lovely man when I met him.”
    Ex-Chelsea striker Vialli was one of English football’s most successful and popular European imports.
    During a 16-year playing career in Italy, Vialli won every major trophy on offer, including Serie A titles with Sampdoria (1991) and Juventus (1995), the Champions League with the latter in 1996, the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup.
    He was also a four-time Coppa Italia winner.
    Vialli scored 16 goals in 59 appearances for Italy and featured in the 1986 and 1990 World Cup finals, while his £12.5million transfer from Sampdoria to Juventus in 1992 was a world record fee at the time.
    In 1996, Dutch great Ruud Gullit, then the Chelsea manager, lured Vialli to Stamford Bridge and the trophies continued to mount up.
    At the end of the Italian’s first season in England he lifted the FA Cup and flourished at the London club after the Dutchman’s exit.
    The following season, now as player-manager, Vialli led Chelsea to glory in both the League Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup.
    Aged just 33 years and 308 days, Vialli was then the youngest manager to win a major European title.
    He guided Chelsea to a third-placed Premier League finish in 1998-99, his last campaign as a player, and bowed out with the winning goal in a 2-1 home win over Derby.
    He won his fifth major trophy in less than three years in charge of Chelsea when they won the FA Cup in 2000, becoming the club’s most successful manager at the time, before being sacked five games into the following season.
    The football star pictured celebrating Juventus’ Champions League victory in 1996Credit: Getty
    Vialli won every major trophy on offer during a 16-year playing career in ItalyCredit: Getty
    He married Cathryn White Cooper  in 2003Credit: Rex
    Despite his roaring success at Chelsea, Vialli spent most of his career at Sampdoria.
    He scored 141 goals in 327 games across eight seasons for the Italians, helping them to a Serie A title, three Italian Cups and the Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.
    Sampdoria was Vialli’s second club after Cremonense, who he left in 1984 after 25 goals in 113 games.
    Vialli’s third side was Juventus, after he joined in 1992.
    The ex-forward netted 53 times in 145 games while winning one title, one Italian Cup, a Uefa Cup and one Champions League.
    Vialli then signed for Chelsea in 1996 and scored 40 goals in 88 games, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup Winners’ Cup.
    He made his final appearance in 1999, but continued managing Chelsea after becoming player-manager the year before.
    Vialli lasted until 2000, when he was sacked just five games into the new season.
    His one and only other managerial role came in 2001 at Watford, where he spent a single year before being axed.
    Viallii’s latest venture saw him working as delegation chief with Italy, having scored 16 goals in 59 games for his country as a player.
    He was part of Roberto Mancini’s backroom which won Euro 2020 against England, but he was forced to step away in December to deal with his cancer battle.
    In a Netflix documentary aired in March 2022, Vialli said: “I know that I probably will not die of old age, I hope to live as long as possible, but I feel much more fragile than before.”
    He described cancer as “a travel companion” that he hoped would eventually leave him in peace, after testing his mettle.
    Vialli added: “Illness can teach a lot about who you are, and can push you to go beyond the superficial way in which we live.”
    Read More on The Sun
    Vialli remained in London after leaving Chelsea and married South Africa-born British-based model Cathryn White-Cooper in 2003.
    He is survived by his wife and daughters Olivia and Sofia.
    Vialli’s joined his third side Juventus in 1992Credit: Bob Thomas Sports Photography – Getty
    Vialli pictured with Elton John after becoming Watford manager in 2001Credit: Rex More

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    Jorginho’s agent CONFIRMS Chelsea have offered new contract but admits he would be tempted by transfer back to Napoli

    JORGINHO’S agent has confirmed Chelsea have offered him a new contract – but he admits the star is tempted by a return to Napoli.The Brazilian-born Italian international, 31, will become a free agent at the end of the season.
    Jorginho’s agent has confirmed Chelsea have offered him a new contractCredit: Getty
    He has been linked with a host of clubs with Newcastle keen to keep him in the Premier League.
    Juventus want to bring him back to Italy while Barcelona are also in the chase for the Euro 2020 winner.
    However, Chelsea want him to stay at Stamford Bridge too and have tabled a contract extension for him to weigh up.
    But Jorginho’s representative, Joao Santos, has now touched on the possibility of his client making an emotional return to his old club Napoli.
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    Speaking to TMW, he said: “Jorginho is expiring on June 30, we have a renewal offer and we’ll give priority to Chelsea.
    “Naples represented our home in Italy, [Cristiano] Giuntoli really appreciates the player, for us it’s a special place.
    “If there was a new interest we’d be happy, however, at the moment Napoli has not had any contact with us.”
    Jorginho started his career in Italy in Hellas Verona but left them for Napoli in January 2014.
    Most read in Football
    Chelsea then forked out £57.4m for his services in 2018 and he has enjoyed great success in West London.
    He has lifted both the Champions League and Europa League during that period, as well as both the Fifa Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup.
    Jorginho’s penalty-taking abilities have also made him a key player for the Blues, and he has scored 21 goals in 121 Premier League outings. More

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    What happened to Roberto Baggio and what is the former Juventus star doing now?

    ROBERTO Baggio was one of the most recognisable footballers in the World in the 80s and 90s.He helped Italy to a World Cup Final in 1994, before a shocking miss which defined his career. Here’s what we know about Roberto Baggio.
    Baggio played in three FIFA World Cups for Italy, missing the decisive penalty in the 1994 shootout.
    Who is Roberto Baggio?
    Roberto Baggio is a former footballer, who played the entirety of his career in Italy.
    Baggio’s nickname was the divine ponytail, which related to the hairstyle he had for most of his career, and his Buddhist beliefs.
    He played for Italy’s three most successful clubs, Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan, winning two Serie A titles over the course of his career.
    In 1993, Baggio helped Juventus to win the UEFA cup, scoring two goals in the first leg of the final against Borussia Dortmund.
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    That year, he was named FIFA World player of the year and received the Ballon d’or.
    He became the first Italian to score at three different World Cups in 1998, after scoring in 1990 and 1994.
    What happened to Roberto Baggio?
    In 1994, Italy reached the FIFA World cup final in the USA, where they would play Brazil.
    The game finished goalless after 90 minutes, and the two teams could not be separated after 30 minutes of extra time, which led to a penalty shootout.
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    The score was 3-2 to the South Americans after nine penalties with Baggio stepping up needing to convert to continue the shootout.
    After a long runup, the Italian sent goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel the wrong way, but saw his penalty fly high over the crossbar, handing Brazil their fourth World cup.
    Baggio has since said that the miss was the worst moment of his career, and effected him for years afterwards.
    In the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, Baggio stepped up to take his first penalty since the 1994 final, in a group stage match against Chile.
    This time, the Italian ace scored, an experience which he described as “liberating.”
    What is Roberto Baggio doing now?
    After retiring from football, Baggio became president of the technical sector of the Italian football federation in 2010.
    He resigned from this role in 2013 as he suggested that the federation had ignored his ideas about focusing on youth talent.
    Outside of football, Baggio has been praised for his charity work, becoming a UN ambassador in 2002 and helping to raise money for areas affected by earthquakes and illnesses.
    Is Roberto Baggio married and does he have any children?
    He married long-term girlfriend Andreina Fabbi in 1989
    They have a daughter, Valentina, who was born in 1990, as well as two sons, Mattia, born in 1994 and Leonardo, born in 2005.
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    What is Roberto Baggio’s net worth?
    Baggio is believed to have a net worth of over £10million.
    This came from the various clubs he represented in his career, as well as from multiple sponsorship deals. More

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    Lewis Hamilton’s F1 team-mate George Russell enjoys winter getaway to Italy with stunning girlfriend Carmen

    MERCEDES F1 driver George Russell has been enjoying a winter holiday with his stunning girlfriend.Russell and his partner Carmen Montero Mundt went on a trip to Italy as he continued his downtime before the next F1 season.
    George Russell took a winter trip to ItalyCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    The F1 star went with his girlfriend Carmen MonteroCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    During the trip they enjoyed some pastaCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    As well as some Italian coffeeCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    George Russell enjoys trip to Italy with stunning girlfriend Carmen MundtCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    The Mercedes driver is on break during the F1 off-seasonCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    Russell also visited a tailorsCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    They went for a drive during a stunning sunsetCredit: Instagram / @georgerussell63
    The pair went and visited the Leaning Tower of Pisa and enjoyed some authentic Italian pasta during their holiday.
    He shared pictures of the trip on his Instagram page, which showed him posing for a snap on an Italian street.
    The post was accompanied with the caption: “Italia”.
    Fans loved the pictures, as one commented: “Perfect, Giorgio! Always match the aesthetic”.
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    A second wrote: “Eat pasta, drive fast”.
    A third added: “Eat and drink well eh?”
    Although some were more interested in the cardigan he was wearing in one of the pictures, one said: “George, with all due respect, what are you wearing?”
    A second added: “My brother in Christ, hire a stylist”.
    Most read in Motorsport
    Russell has been with Carmen since 2020, who works as an investment broker.
    The 24-year-old Mercedes driver will be back in action on March next year when F1 returns.
    The season was set to have 24 races but with the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix, there are only 23.
    However, Formula 1 is currently considering a replacement race.
    The pair have been dating since 2020Credit: Getty
    Earlier this year they went to an NBA game in MiamiCredit: AP
    They also attended the “No Time To Die” World Premiere at the Royal Albert Hall last yearCredit: Getty More

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    Vialli’s condition ‘worsens’ as ex-Chelsea and Italy star’s mum ‘rushes to be by his side in hospital’ amid cancer fight

    GIANLUCA VIALLI’S mother rushed to London from Italy to be by her son’s side after his condition worsened this week, Italian reports claim.The former Chelsea and Italy striker is claimed to be receiving treatment in hospital as he battles pancreatic cancer.
    Gianluca Vialli is currently battling cancerCredit: PA
    Vialli has stepped away from his role with the Italian national teamCredit: Getty
    Vialli spent three years with ChelseaCredit: Reuters
    Vialli, 58, recently stepped away from his role with the Italian national team to focus on his fight against the illness.
    He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2017 before being given the all-clear in 2020.
    His cancer returned in 2021, and Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera claim his condition has worsened recently.
    Vialli’s mum Maria Teresa, 87, and his brother flew to London to visit him in hospital as he could not travel back for Christmas.
    Read more Chelsea News
    They are reported to have flown to the UK on Monday before returning home to Cremona, near Milan, on Tuesday.
    Corriere Della Sera claim Vialli’s condition is “serious” as he receives treatment for cancer.
    In a statement last week Vialli confirmed that he was stepping away from his position with the Italian team, but hoped it would only be temporary.
    He said: “At the end of a long and difficult ‘negotiation’ with my wonderful team of oncologists I have decided to suspend, I hope temporarily, my present and future professional commitments.
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    “The goal is to use all the psycho-physical energies to help my body overcome this phase of the disease, so that I will be able as soon as possible to face new adventures and share them with all of you.”
    Chelsea legend John Terry sent his will wishes to Vialli following the news that he had stepped away from his role with Italy.
    Vialli spent time in charge of the Blues and handed Terry his professional debut.
    Terry wrote on Twitter: “Sending my Love and Best Wishes to Gianluca Vialli.
    “The man that gave me my debut and believed in me.”
    As well as his spell with Chelsea, Vialli also played for Cremonese, Sampdoria, and Juventus.
    He was capped 59 times by Italy.
    Vialli confirmed in 2021 that his cancer had returnedCredit: Getty More

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    Italy legend looks unrecognisable as he arrives in Qatar ahead of World Cup final

    AN Italy legend looked unrecognisable after touching down in Qatar for the World Cup final.Football fans around the globe are bracing themselves for an epic encounter between France and Argentina this weekend.
    An unrecognisable Italy legend touched down in Qatar ahead of the World Cup finalCredit: Instagram
    Countries including England, Brazil and Portugal have fallen by the wayside in their quest for world domination.
    And numerous football legends have made their way to the Middle East for Sunday’s showpiece event between Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
    One iconic figure who turned up in Qatar today used to be the Italian national team’s star player.
    He did not get to witness Roberto Mancini’s men in action after Italy failed to qualify less than a year after winning the Euros.
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    But he is no stranger to heartbreak on the pitch either.
    This legendary forward won numerous club and individual awards, yet he is best known for missing a penalty in Italy’s 1994 World Cup final defeat to Brazil.
    He scored 27 goals in 56 games for his country, while also netting 278 times in 605 club games.
    Yes, it’s none other than iconic Italian No10 Roberto Baggio.
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    The former player was none other than iconic No10 Roberto BaggioCredit: Action Images – Reuters
    The Ballon d’Or winner infamously missed a penalty in Italy’s 1994 World Cup final defeat to BrazilCredit: AFP
    Now 55 years old, the former Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan star was mobbed by supporters as he touched down in Qatar.
    Once sporting long dark locks and beard to match, he was unsurprisingly looking a little greyer almost 30 years on from his infamous miss.
    Baggio, who helped Italy finish third at the 1990 World Cup, needed to score his penalty in the USA 1994 final shootout against Brazil to keep Italy’s hopes alive.
    But despite winning the Ballon d’Or the previous year, Baggio ended up blasting his spot-kick over the bar to give Brazil their fourth World Cup win.
    Even to this day, Baggio admits he has not forgotten the moment he skied Italy’s dreams wide.
    He said last month: “I will never forget it. That was a childhood dream come true and then it ended in the most absurd fashion and I never got over it.
    “The people always showed me great love and affection, they understood my suffering, but I am very demanding with myself.
    “I had a thousand opportunities to miss a penalty in my career, that was the one I really couldn’t miss.” More

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    Jamie Carragher names his best World Cup XI of all time using no more than one player from each country

    JAMIE CARRAGHER has named his best World Cup XI of all time with just one player allowed per country. And he made the controversial call to leave both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi out of the team.

    Pele is probably the greatest World Cup player everCredit: AP:Associated Press
    Diego Maradona unsurprisingly makes the incredible line-upCredit: Getty
    The Portuguese representative is forward Eusebio, who leads the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation for Carragher.
    Eusebio scored all nine of his World Cup goals as he led his country to the semi-finals in 1966, including four in the stunning comeback win over North Korea – when Portugal won 5-3 from 3-0 down inside 25 minutes.
    Supporting the clinical striker are three of the all-time footballing greats.
    From Argentina, operating on the right, is none other than Diego Maradona, who led his nation to glory in 1986 – thanks in part to his famous double against England.
    READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
    The magician scored eight goals in his 21 appearances in the competition and is considered one of the best ever.
    Alongside Maradona is another of the sport’s greatest icons in Pele.
    The Brazilian is the only player ever to win three World Cups, is the youngest winner and goalscorer and arguably the very best World Cup player.
    To complete a fearsome front four for Carragher is Holland maverick Johan Cruyff.
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    He led the Dutch to the final in 1974 with the beautiful brand of football but the Oranje fell short by losing to West Germany in the final.
    Providing the balls into the elite attack are two of the great passers the game has seen.
    Ultimate technician Xavi, winner of the 2010 World Cup, is in the team for Spain.
    And next to him is his former El Clasico rival and 2018 finalist Luka Modric.
    In fact, the Real Madrid star is the only active footballer in the XI – currently representing Croatia in Qatar.
    The back four is made up of some of the titans of the game with 1998 winner Lilian Thuram, 1974 champion Franz Beckenbauer, 1966 victor Bobby Moore and 1994 runner-up Paolo Maldini.
    Bobby Moore is the only England captain to lift the World CupCredit: PA
    Xavi helped Spain to glory in South Africa in 2010Credit: Getty – Contributor
    Jamie Carragher left out Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel MessiCredit: Getty
    Thuram played for France 142 times across 14 years and managed two goals – incredibly both came in the 2-0 1998 semi-final win over Croatia.
    Beckenbauer is one of just three men to win the World Cup as a player and as a manager – the supreme defender leading West Germany from the dugout in 1990.
    England’s player is none other than their only captain to lift the World Cup – Moore was the linchpin in the heart of the defence when the Three Lions secured the Jules Rimet trophy on home soil 58 long years ago.
    Maldini, meanwhile, may not have won the World Cup for four-time champions Italy but still gets the nod for Carragher as one of the game’s top left-backs.
    And this all-star team apparently needs a goalkeeper, too – although one doubts he would be very busy.
    Read More on The Sun
    The man chosen is Denmark hero Peter Schmeichel, who only played at one World Cup – reaching the quarters in 1998 – but is widely regarded as the No1 goalkeeper ever by many.
    Ironically, his son Kasper has played at more – representing the Danes in Russia and Qatar. More