The hard player: John Carew
Born on 5 September 1979 in Lørenskog, Norway, John Carew was a striker who carved his way through Europe’s top leagues with quiet efficiency. He honed his craft at Vålerenga (30 goals in 58 matches) and Rosenborg (24 goals in 31 matches) before heading abroad. He landed at Valencia CF, scoring 28 goals in 128 matches, then moved to Olympique Lyonnais (17 goals in 53 matches), before finding his most prolific spell at Aston Villa with 52 goals in 133 matches.
A Norwegian international, Carew also featured for his country’s youth side (3 caps, 1 goal at U17 level). His nomadic career spanning Scandinavia, Spain, France and England made him a discreet but deadly striker wherever he went.
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PlayThe medium player: Tim Howard
Born on 6 March 1979 in North Brunswick, New Jersey, Tim Howard was the first American player to wear the Manchester United shirt. He made 77 appearances for the Red Devils before becoming an Everton fixture for years: 387 matches in total – including a loan stint (27 matches) – and even one goal to his name. He finished his career at Colorado Rapids (103 matches) after passing through the MetroStars (97 matches).
Diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in childhood, Howard never let the condition affect his performances on the pitch. For the United States, he earned 121 caps, featuring at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cups. He also won the 2007 Gold Cup with his national team.
The easy player: Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker was born on 30 November 1960 in Leicester. A clinical centre-forward, he launched his career at Leicester City with 103 goals in 216 appearances. After a stint at Everton (38 goals in 52 matches), he moved to FC Barcelona, netting 52 times in 138 games, before returning to England with Tottenham (80 goals in 138 matches) and finishing at Nagoya Grampus in Japan.
With England, Lineker is an icon: 48 goals in 80 caps, placing him fourth among the national team’s all-time top scorers as of 2026. He won the Golden Boot at the 1986 World Cup with six goals and finished as England’s top scorer in the league three times. He was never booked throughout his professional career and received the FIFA Fair Play Award in 1990. After hanging up his boots, he became a household name as presenter of Match of the Day on the BBC from 1999 to 2025.