The hard player: Mikaël Silvestre
A French defender, Mikaël Silvestre began his career at Stade Rennais (54 appearances) before heading to Italy with Inter Milan (31 apps, 1 goal). A solid foundation for a player who would soon park his boots at one of England’s most decorated clubs.
It was at Manchester United that he built the core of his career: 361 appearances and 10 goals in a United shirt. After leaving Old Trafford, he went on to represent Arsenal FC (43 apps, 3 goals) and Werder Bremen (31 apps, 1 goal), showing a clear taste for Europe’s biggest clubs. He also represented France at youth level, making 2 appearances for the under-17s.
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PlayThe medium player: Juan Mata
A Spanish offensive midfielder and winger, Juan Mata came through Real Madrid Castilla (39 apps, 10 goals) before making his mark at Valencia CF with 174 appearances and 46 goals. A technical profile that quickly caught the eye across the Channel.
At Chelsea FC, he added 135 appearances and 33 goals to his name, before settling longest at Manchester United: 285 matches and 51 goals in the famous red shirt. He ended his career on the other side of the world with Western Sydney Wanderers (23 matches, 1 goal).
The easy player: Pelé
A Brazilian forward and playmaker, Pelé spent the bulk of his career at Santos FC, making 665 appearances and scoring 643 goals : a figure that long seemed to belong to another world.
He pulled on the Brazilian shirt 92 times, netting 77 international goals. He rounded off his career in the United States with New York Cosmos, scoring 37 goals in 64 matches. Pelé passed away on 29 December 2022.