The hard player: Rickie Lambert
Rickie Lambert was born on 16 February 1982 in Kirkby, England. A striker by trade, he patiently built his reputation in the lower English divisions, passing through Macclesfield Town (49 matches, 10 goals), Stockport County (110 matches, 19 goals), Rochdale AFC (68 matches, 28 goals) and Bristol Rovers (155 matches, 59 goals).
It was at Southampton FC that Lambert truly exploded: 235 matches and 117 goals, a stunning return for a player forged far from the spotlight. This extraordinary rise earned him a place in the national team, with 11 caps and 3 goals for England. A remarkable story – and yet only 16% of players identified him today.
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PlayThe medium player: Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso was born on 9 January 1978 in Corigliano Calabro, Italy. A central midfielder by trade, he began his professional career at Rangers FC with 51 appearances and 5 goals, before brief spells at FC Sion (32 matches, 1 goal) and US Salernitana (25 matches).
It was at AC Milan that Gattuso made his name: 467 matches and 11 goals in the famous red and black shirt – a rare level of loyalty at the very top of the game. He also represented Italy at under-18 level, scoring 3 goals in 14 appearances. A one-club warrior, a fighter through and through.
The easy player: Pepe
Pepe was born on 26 February 1983 in Maceió, Brazil. A central defender by trade, he started his career at CS Marítimo with 63 appearances and 3 goals, before moving to FC Porto where he racked up a combined 288 matches and 17 goals across two separate stints.
It was at Real Madrid that Pepe truly hit the heights, featuring in 334 matches and scoring 15 goals in the famous white shirt. He also earned 141 caps and 8 goals for Portugal, a remarkable tally for a defender. A stint at Beşiktaş (52 matches, 7 goals) rounded off his club career in fine style.