The hard player: Adnan Januzaj
Born on 5 February 1995 in Brussels, Adnan Januzaj is a Belgian right winger and attacking midfielder. He launched his professional career at Manchester United (63 apps, 5 goals) before a loan spell at Sunderland (28 apps, 1 goal) – two contrasting English chapters for a then-promising talent.
Capped 15 times by Belgium for 1 goal, he later settled in Spain, first at Sevilla (30 apps, 2 goals) and then most notably at Real Sociedad, where he became a fixture with 168 appearances and 23 goals. A loan stint at Las Palmas (20 apps, 2 goals) rounded out a Spanish journey far removed from his Old Trafford days.
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PlayThe medium player: Demba Ba
Born on 25 May 1985 in Sèvres, France, Demba Ba made a name for himself as a clinical striker in the Bundesliga with Hoffenheim (106 apps, 40 goals) before crossing to the Premier League with Newcastle United (58 apps, 29 goals) and Chelsea (51 apps, 14 goals). The numbers speak for themselves: a ruthless finisher in Europe’s top leagues.
Despite being born in France, he chose to represent Senegal internationally, earning 22 caps and scoring 4 goals. His career also took him to Turkey, where he was lethal for Beşiktaş (44 apps, 27 goals) and Istanbul Başakşehir (83 apps, 26 goals), rounding off a nomadic but prolific journey.
The easy player: Xabi Alonso
Born on 25 November 1981 in Tolosa, Spain, Xabi Alonso built a career that took him through the biggest clubs in Europe. From Real Sociedad (124 apps, 10 goals) to Liverpool (210 apps, 18 goals), then Real Madrid (236 apps, 6 goals) and finally Bayern Munich (117 apps, 9 goals), the defensive midfielder left his mark at every stop.
Having represented Spain at under-18 level, Alonso later made the transition into management, trading the pitch for the dugout after hanging up his boots.