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My Ten All Time Greats
by John Colquhoun


When the Editor asked me to compile a list of my top ten players, he made a major mistake.

It's amazing how much you can pick up and learn just by watching some of the game's superstars on video - even on flickering black and white footage of the days when players wore cast iron boots and the ball weighed half a ton. Like most people, I haven't been able to exclude Maradona, Pele and Cruyff from my top ten - because you can't fly in the face of the evidence and deny a genius his right to world-wide recognition.

He forgot to make it clear if it was the best I have ever seen, or my FAVOURITE players - who would all be my mates. That's two completely different lists. So I give you a mixture.

No 1. PELE: reminds me of my youth. Played in the best team ever, the Brazil 1970 World Cup winning side. Scored over a thousand goals, and had the brass neck to be a great ambassador off the park. Not one of my mates.

No 2. KENNY DALGLISH: The King. Only ever in danger of missing this list in 1977, when I felt he betrayed me when he left Celtic for Liverpool. This was before I realised players have to make money as well as play for the jersey.

No 3. DIEGO MARADONA: Amazing dribbler... had the best balance of any player to walk this planet. A fondness for the kind of coke that isn't the real thing means he never entertained us as much as he should have.

No 4. ROBERT DUFFIN: Right-sided midfield player for Stirling Albion when I made my debut. Lack of ambition prevented him going further than his talents deserved. One of my mates.

No 5. JIMMY JOHNSTONE: Modelled myself on him. Sadly, I could never get my hair the right shade of ginger. No Scottish player could ever reproduce his skills.

No 6. JOHAN CRUYFF: We had a lot in common - the same initials. Graceful player who led Holland when they emerged as a world power.

No 7. DANNY McGRAIN: Best right-back I played in front of. High praise, indeed, when you consider I played with Walter Kidd for many years.

No 8. BRIAN McCLAIR: Very underrated. To score 100 goals in both England and Scotland is a great achievement. Most successful Scot still playing, if two minutes a week counts.

No 9. MICHEL PLATINI: Elegant, cool, great passer but worked hard for his team.

No 10. HANS ESKILSSON: Kept some great players out of ordinary teams!

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