The hard player: Sunday Oliseh
Born on 14 September 1974 in Abavo, Delta State, Nigeria, Sunday Oliseh was a midfielder-defender who carved out a solid career across European football. He started in Belgium at RFC Liège, making 75 appearances and scoring 3 goals, before moving to Ajax Amsterdam (54 matches, 8 goals). He then signed for Borussia Dortmund (72 matches, 3 goals), before stints at FC Cologne (54 matches, 4 goals) and VfL Bochum (32 matches, 1 goal), covering a wide range of northern European leagues along the way.
With the Nigerian Super Eagles, he earned 63 caps and scored 4 goals. After retiring as a player, he moved into coaching.
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PlayThe medium player: Javier Saviola
Born on 11 December 1981 in Belgrano, Javier Saviola – nicknamed El Conejo (The Rabbit) for his height (1.68m), pace and distinctive looks – made his name at River Plate, winning the championship twice and being named best player in Argentina and South America in 1999. He then joined FC Barcelona, clocking up 172 appearances and 72 goals, with loan spells at AS Monaco (42 matches, 17 goals) and Seville FC (41 matches, 15 goals), where he lifted the UEFA Cup in 2005-06. His stint at Real Madrid brought him a La Liga title in 2007-08.
With the Argentine national team (40 caps, 11 goals), El Conejo shone at the 2001 U20 World Cup, picking up the Adidas Golden Ball for best player and the Golden Boot for top scorer. He added an Olympic gold medal at Athens 2004 before playing his last World Cup in 2006. His career also took him to Benfica (122 matches, 39 goals, one league title and three League Cups), Olympiakós, Hellas Verona, and finally back to River Plate in 2015.
The easy player: Roy Keane
Roy Keane, born on 10 August 1971 in Cork, started out at Rockmount FC before being spotted by Nottingham Forest at the age of eighteen. He quickly established himself as a first-team regular at the City Ground, racking up 154 appearances and 32 goals before making the move to Manchester United, where he spent the bulk of his career under Alex Ferguson. With the Red Devils, he played 480 matches and scored 51 goals, winning seven Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the 1998-99 Champions League. The following season, he was named England’s Player of the Year.
A captain known for his fierce leadership and relentless aggression, he also represented the Republic of Ireland in 67 international matches, scoring 9 goals. He wrapped up his playing days with a brief stint at Celtic Glasgow (13 matches) before hanging up his boots in 2006. He then moved into management, guiding Sunderland from the Championship back to the Premier League in his very first season.