Home of football statistics and historyFans in the United Kingdom have been blessed to have the opportunity to watch some of the finest players ever to grace professional football.
A handful of those individuals have deservedly earned iconic status, having achieved feats which went beyond what mere mortals accomplished.
With that in mind, read on as we look at five legendary players from the UK whose stellar performances shaped the history of the game.
Stanley Matthews
If Stanley Matthews had played during the modern era, he would potentially have brought the betting industry to its knees through his exploits on the pitch.
The talented winger’s penchant for creating chances would have had sports betting sites repeatedly paying out punters who wagered in the ‘assists’ market.
A Belgian defender once claimed that marking Matthews was like ‘trying to mark a ghost’, while Brazil legend Pele said he was ‘the man who taught us the way football should be played’.
Matthews longevity at the top level in English football set him apart from his peers and he undoubtedly deserves a spot in this select group of iconic footballers.
Bobby Charlton
After surviving the Munich Air Disaster in February 1958, Bobby Charlton subsequently became a legendary figure for Manchester United and England.
Charlton helped the Red Devils win three First Division titles and played a key role as they became the first English club to win the European Cup.
Charlton scored 249 goals in 758 appearances for United, records which stood until they were surpassed by Wayne Rooney (2017) and Ryan Giggs (2008).
He was also the beating heart of the England team which won the 1966 World Cup on home soil by beating West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in the final.
George Best
‘Flawed genius’ and ‘maverick winger’ are just two of the ways people generally describe George Best. However, people in Northern Ireland summed him up most accurately.
‘Maradona good, Pele better, George Best.’ While the world waxes lyrical about the South American stars, Best was unquestionably in the same league as them.
His ability on the ball was staggering, and it is one of the saddest aspects of professional football that he never had the chance to play at a World Cup.
Best is immortalised outside Old Trafford alongside Bobby Charlton and Denis Law. As football icons go, he is right up there.
Kenny Dalglish
Liverpool fans had a penchant for thinking the world had ended during the 1970s, most notably when Bill Shankly and Kevin Keegan left the club.
However, the club’s acquisition of Kenny Dalglish from Celtic ultimately paved the way for the Merseyside club to achieve bigger and better things.
‘King Kenny’ is rated as a living legend by Celtic and Liverpool fans – a measure of the great things he achieved with clubs on both sides of the border.
He also earned iconic status as Blackburn Rovers’ manager, after guiding them to the Premier League title ahead of Man United in 1994/95.
Wayne Rooney
The launch of the Premier League in 1992 ushered in a new era of hyperbole, where everything which happens is bigger and better than what went before.
However, sensible fans will recognise that there have only been a handful of players who can truly lay claim to earning iconic status during this era.
Rooney is a prime candidate having repeatedly been a game-changer for Man United throughout a sustained period of success.
He finished his United career as the club’s all-time top scorer with 253 goals – 183 of those coming in 393 league appearances.
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