The hard player: İlhan Mansız
Born on 10 August 1975 in Kempten im Allgäu, West Germany, İlhan Mansız was a Turkish striker who built his career primarily in Turkish football. He played for Samsunspor (89 apps, 26 goals) and then made his mark at Beşiktaş (66 apps, 36 goals), before moving on to Ankaragücü (10 apps, 4 goals) and Kuşadasıspor (37 apps, 19 goals). He rounded off his career at Türkgücü Munich (24 apps, 11 goals), returning to the German roots of his birthplace.
For the Turkish national team, İlhan Mansız earned 21 caps and scored 7 goals. Born in West Germany but choosing to represent Turkey, he was a key figure of a generation that pushed Turkish football onto the international stage. No wonder only 14% of players managed to identify him in today’s quiz.
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PlayThe medium player: Robert Prosinečki
Born on 12 January 1969 in Schwenningen, West Germany, Robert Prosinečki was an attacking midfielder with a truly unique place in football history. He rose to prominence at Red Star Belgrade (138 apps, 30 goals) before joining Real Madrid (75 apps, 12 goals), then moved to Real Oviedo (32 apps, 5 goals) and back to Croatia with Dinamo Zagreb (75 apps, 28 goals), finishing his playing days at Portsmouth (35 apps, 9 goals).
At international level, Prosinečki achieved something no other player has ever managed: he scored at the World Cup with two different national teams, first with Yugoslavia in 1990 (15 caps, 4 goals) and then with Croatia in 1998 (49 caps, 10 goals). He is also one of the very few players to have worn the jerseys of both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. After retiring, he moved into management.
The easy player: Paul Gascoigne
Born on 27 May 1967 in Newcastle, Paul Gascoigne – nicknamed “Gazza” – was the kind of attacking midfielder whose talent was as explosive as his personality. He came through Newcastle United (104 apps, 24 goals) before shining at Tottenham Hotspur (111 apps, 33 goals), then moved to Lazio in Rome (47 apps, 6 goals) and across to Glasgow Rangers (104 apps, 39 goals), where he was at his brilliant best in Scotland, before ending his career at Middlesbrough (45 apps, 4 goals).
Capped 57 times for England, Gascoigne became a global icon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, when his tears following a yellow card in the semi-final against West Germany stopped the nation’s heart. That booking would have ruled him out of a final England never reached anyway. His career was partly derailed by an unpredictable temperament and recurring battles with alcohol, limiting what might have been an even greater legacy. He is a member of the Rangers FC Hall of Fame.