Gary Lineker – TalkFootball Off the pitch… Like him or love him, there are few people who would say they don’t have a soft spot for Gary Linekar. He is not only a football legend but a national English treasure and the face of football on the BBC. Lineker was a predator in the six yard box. He seemed to know exactly where to position himself so the ball would arrive at him and he’d grab a quick goal. Not the most flamboyant of players but certainly one of the most deadly in terms of scoring goals. He is England’s second highest scoring goal scorer of all time. And who’d have thought it from a TV presenter! Making Leicester famous for more than just crisps… Gary Winston Lineker always loved sport. He grew up in Leicester in the very middle of the middle of England. His father was a greengrocer and the trade had been with the Linekers for over 70 years. Linker had his heart set on sport though and was more than accomplished at most he played. An old school report famously said about Lineker that “He must devote less time to his sport if he is to be a success”.

Gary was spotted playing football by local team Leicester City when playing at 13 and he was invited to play for their youth team. When he was 16 Gary started playing full-time. At 18 he started playing for the first team and within a couple of professional years he was already starting to make a prolific name for himself, finishing each season with enough goals to place him up there with the other leading goal scorers in the then Division One. In 1984/85 season Gary finished as top goal-scorer with 24 and this prompted attention from the England international team. Ferry across to the Mersey Gary moved to Everton in 1985 and didn’t stop scoring for them either. He bagged a staggering 38 goals in only 52 games for The Toffees and finished top goal scorer again. During this period though it was when the rest of Europe started to become very tempted by such a deadly match-winner as Lineker and the skinny lad from Leicester soon fell onto the radar of the big boys from Spain. Big-ears goes to big club Barcelona called and Gary answered and in 1986 Lineker moved to Spanish giants Barcelona.

In the same year Gary played in the Mexican World Cup and won the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the competition. The Spaniards were rubbing their hands at the prospect of a repeat performance at the Nou Camp. Gary did it again and he netted 21 goals for Barca in only 41 games, including a hat-trick against arch rivals Real Madrid, which led him to cult status amongst the fans. He was becoming prolific and an absolute nightmare to defend against. With Lineker up-front Barcelona went on to win the UEFA Cup and the Copa del Rev but a fall out with Dutch legend Johan Cruiff, when he was suddenly moved out of position to the right-wing, spelt time at the Barca for golden-boot-Gary. Tottenham Hot-stuff Lineker passed on Manchester United’s generous offers and decided his return to English football would be with north London’s Tottenham Hotspur. It was here that Gary entered the peak of his form. From 105 games Gary scored in over half of them with a whopping 67 goals. He helped them win the FA Cup and, playing alongside Paul Gascoigne for most of it, he made Spurs a force to be reckoned with.

Gary was voted third in the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year awards in 1991. The Setting Sun of Japan One of the most unexpected transfer moves of all time came when Gary Lineker decided to move to Japan to play for Nagoya Grampus Eight. No one in Europe seemed to even know Japan had a football league, let alone feel they deserved such a legend as Lineker. But Gary felt his struggling injuries and weariness of the European game meant a growing football nation would suit him perfectly and also hugely benefit the country’s desire to improve their football profile. He was loved in Japan and, although he only played 23 games in the two seasons he was there, he still couldn’t resist scoring 9 more goals to add to his huge tally. Gary finished his club football career having never received a yellow or red card. He was the ultimate sportsman and the ultimate gentleman. He was one of the greatest examples of an England player we have ever seen and his goals for his country were some of the most crucial in history.

Player Statistics Fifa World Cup – Golden Shoe: 1986 (Mexico) English League Top Scorer: 1985, 1986, 1990 We’re singing for England…. It began in 1984 against Scotland. It ended with 80 appearances and a staggering (but expected from Gary) 48 goals. None were more vital than in the Mexico World Cup finals when Gary helped England to qualify for the knock-out stages by scoring an incredible hat-trick against Poland. Then against Paraguay he struck twice again to send them into the quarter finals to face Argentina. But sadly Lineker’s one goal was no match for another legend called Maradona’s two. England went out but would be back in 1990 for more drama. Italia 90 will go down in history as being one of the most dramatic moments in football for all teams involved but particularly for England. Lineker scored one of only two England goals in the group stages but then made up for it when they got to the quarter finals having beaten Belgium in the round before. His two penalties against Cameroon in the quarter-finals meant England would face their arch-rivals West Germany in the semis.

It would go down as one of the most famous games of football ever. Gazza’s tears, Lineker’s 80th minute equaliser and that penalty shoot-out. Which England of course lost. After this came a somewhat sad end to his England career when, in the Euro 92 tournament, new coach Graham Taylor subbed Lineker and prevented him from trying to beat Bobby Charton’s top goal scoring record. He was upset and didn’t play for England again. Off the pitch… At times you’d be forgiven for even remembering that Lineker was even a footballer. He is such an icon of British sport on television now that it seems he’s always been doing it. Coming on as sub in the early nineties for Des Lynam but eventually being promoted to the first team, Linker was to be the new face of the institutional Match of the Day programme. He also rose up the ranks in TV when he was a regular captain on the sports game-show They Think It’s All Over, which often revealed a more humane and jovial side to him. Gary still presents Match of the Day today, as well as the BBCs coverage of The Masters and various other occasional programmes.

Aside from sport, Gary is also well know for his appearance in the Leicester-based company Walkers Crisps adverts. Which have used his squeaky clean image and reversed it to show how irresistible they are. Here is one when Gary came back from Japan. In his personal life Gary married his child-hood sweet heart Michelle and they had four sons together. His oldest boy George was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was only a baby but he has since made a full recovery. He divorced from Michelle in 2007 but they remain amiable. Lineker continues to present sport on the BBC as well as voicing narration for children’s programme Underground Ernie and appearing as himself in the odd film too. He will always be a national treasure for the English. A man we all wish we knew; he feels like one of us. A great footballer and a great ambassador for the game of football and for sport in general. News: Big in Japan, Leicester City and Shinji Okazaki Nearly There | Living | City-Cost News: Big in Japan, Leicester City and Shinji Okazaki Nearly There Living For the longest time the city of Leicester in the U.K.

was famous for about one thing; being the first city in the land to have a larger population of residents who traced their origins back to the subcontinent, than those whose origins were from, well, somewhere else. The medium-size city in the geographical center of England also had a ‘flavoring’ of fame as being the place where English football legend Gary Lineker plied the early days of his career. And this was about it, until 2012, when history buff's wet themselves at the discovery of long-lost monarch King Richard III’s remains buried under a car park in the city. The news went viral, so to speak, and the world watched on as Brit, Hollywood A-lister Benedict Cumberbatch, a distant relative of the king, gave a reading at the funeral. And then it went quite. Again. Now Leicester is back on the world scene, including, and more specifically, in Japan. The city’s football team is doing well. Really well. Quite unfathomably so. The team that last season narrowly avoided relegation from English football’s top flight, the Premier League, is on the verge of taking out the championship this season. They have two games remaining.

The team in second place, London’s Tottenham Hotspur (the only team that can catch them), have three games to play and are eight points behind. Tottenham play tomorrow, 4:00 am Japan time. What has this got to do with Japan? Leicester City are currently spearheaded by Japanese striker Shinji Okazaki ( 岡崎 慎司), a pint-sized player who many thought wouldn’t be able to hack it in the rough, tumble, and sometimes, all-out thuggery of English football. However, Okazaki is doing really well. This despite playing for a team that no one thought had a hope in hell of getting to their current position, and despite playing alongside a strike partner who was caught on camera at the start of the season calling someone a ‘Jap’. To put Leicester City’s (and Okazaki’s) achievements in more familiar terms, this would be like a Japanese sprinter that nobody had ever heard off, taking on and beating Usain Bolt in his prime.

If they do it, it will be, without doubt, one of the greatest sporting achievements in sporting history, and you can bet your favorite pair of football boots that Okazaki will be plastered all over Japan’s sporting pages. Whether they do it or not though, the team’s achievements have already been felt here in Japan where, if you go out to the izakayas and reveal any knowledge of football, you shouldn’t be surprised to hear feverish talk about Leicester’s prospects of winning the title. And this from a populace who don’t really know who Gary Lineker is (despite the Leicester legend having played for, the then, Nagoya Grampus Eight). So, if you’re wondering why there is an abundance of blue soccer shirts in Japan’s sports shops tomorrow, it might be because Leicester City, with Shinji Okazaki, have become Premier League champions! Tottenham’s score will be in around 6:00 am tomorrow morning.

20 Most Surprising Things to Happen in the January Transfer Window | Bleacher Report 20 Most Surprising Things to Happen in the January Transfer Window 20 Most Surprising Things to Happen in the January Transfer Window 1 of 21 Sang Tan/Associated Press The January transfer window only contained a couple of mega deals, but there were still plenty of surprises to get chins wagging. Manchester United struck early with the stunning acquisition of Juan Mata from rivals Chelsea, but they then stayed quiet for the rest of the month. And there were other major clubs in Europe who did little or nothing, which is a surprise in itself. Some of the biggest shocks involved players and teams that just did not seem to go naturally together, while others saw a big risk taken by one party or the other. As always, this ranking is somewhat subjective. Let it be known in the comments what you think the biggest surprises were. 20. Philippe Senderos to Valencia 2 of 21 Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press Though this transfer makes sense on many levels, not many saw Philippe Senderos' move to Valencia coming.

As Tom Conn reports on insidespanishfootball.com, the Spanish club made the big center-back an offer he couldn't refuse: In his first press conference with the media, Senderos explained the move, which caught many by surprise and feels it’s a great opportunity for his career. "They told me about the interest from Valencia really late on. I was just completely focused on working with Fulham. "However, I think that this is a great opportunity for me and that is why I accepted it. I really want to play in La Liga and playing for Valencia is a great challenge for me." 19. Shinji Kagawa to Stay Put at Manchester United 3 of 21 Jon Super/Associated Press During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Shinji Kagawa showed himself to be a playmaker of massive potential. Since moving to Manchester United at the beginning of last season, however, the Japanese star has failed to live up to expectations. Whether that's because he has been unable to adapt to the English game or Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes have not utilized his talents correctly remains open to debate, but the fact is his career has stalled somewhat.

If Kagawa had been thinking of a return to Dortmund, or a move to another club where he could have a more influential role, the arrival of Juan Mata, a player who occupies a similar position, at United, must have made it even more tempting to jump ship. The 24-year-old has elected to stay on, though, and try to establish himself as a starting midfielder for the Red Devils. Sometimes taking no action is a gamble in itself. It should become apparent over the rest of the season whether Kagawa has made the right choice. 18. Jose Sosa to Atletico Madrid 4 of 21 Michael Probst/Associated Press It might not always be clear to fans what Jose Sosa actually does, but he nonetheless seems to make a good impression on many of his managers. The versatile attacking midfielder was regularly called up by Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella at the start of his tenure, much to the bemusement of many pundits and Albiceleste supporters. Now another of Sosa's old Estudiantes bosses, Diego Simeone, has called him over to Spanish title contenders Atletico Madrid on a six-month loan from Ukrainian club Metalist Kharkiv.

Will the 28-year-old prove useful in the race for the La Liga crown, or is Simeone clutching at straws? Only time will tell. 17. Ruben Botta to Inter 5 of 21 Antonio Calanni/Associated Press Despite showing oodles of talent from a young age, Ruben Botta's career took longer than many expected to really get humming. He spent four years at Tigre before finally making the jump to Europe when Inter bought him at the start of 2013-14. Even though he was immediately loaned to Livorno, where he did not play a game, he has now been secured by the Milan giants on a permanent basis. After a stuttering start, Botta now appears to be on the move. 16. Konstantinos Mitroglou to Fulham 6 of 21 Laura Williamson of the Daily Mail explains the deal : Fulham bolstered their fight for Barclays Premier League survival by spending a club record £12.4million on Greece striker Konstantinos Mitroglou as Dimitar Berbatov swapped west London for Monaco.

On a dramatic deadline day for Rene Meulensteen’s side, currently second from bottom and two points clear of safety, Mitroglou shunned Fulham’s relegation rivals West Ham to sign a four-and-a-half-year deal at Craven Cottage, while Tottenham midfielder Lewis Holtby joined on loan until the end of the season. The club also secured a late deal to sign Everton defender Johnny Heitinga. The forward has been in fine form for Olympiacos, but this move still represents a considerable risk for a club of Fulham's modest means. If the gamble pays off, however, and Mitroglou begins banging in the goals, their chances of remaining in the top flight for another season will increase considerably. 15. Besart Berisha to Melbourne Victory 7 of 21 Shizuo Kambayashi/Associated Press In terms of shock value, nothing in Europe or South America quite matched the announcement of Albanian striker Besart Berisha's end-of-season transfer from Brisbane Roar to Melbourne Victory in Australia's A-League.

Berisha, who with 44 goals in two-and-a-half seasons is widely regarded as the best striker in the league, has become a cult hero at the Roar and it was generally assumed that if he ever left the club, his destination would be overseas. In fact, Brisbane coach Mike Mulvey said the following of Berisha back in November, as reported by David Davutovic on foxsports.com.au: "He couldn't play for anyone else in the A-League. He's got orange blood." It turns out he could, and will, from the start of next season, much to the dismay of Roar fans. 14. Valmir Berisha to Roma 8 of 21 Hassan Ammar/Associated Press Another Berisha, Valmir (no relation), moved from Halmstad to Roma. The 17-year-old Swede is an exciting prospect and, according to his own accounts, he ignored interest from a number of clubs across Europe to join the Giallorossi. The teen explained his decision to sign for Roma to solocalcio.se instead of one of the other prestigious clubs who were chasing him, as reported by Matthew Scott of Goal.com: I'm feeling good about [joining Roma].

I've always wanted to play in Italy. Teams wanted me in England and in Germany, and I had a contract from Dortmund in my hands, but I ignored it and signed for Roma the next day. Other than Roma and Dortmund, there was also Sunderland, Hammarby, Werder Bremen and Juventus. Sevilla offered me a contract straight after the World Cup and Ajax also got in contact. Even so, I wanted Italy. I love the weather and the language, and I've always had an Italian style of play. The plan is to start me off with the Primavera (youth team), let me adapt and then play me in the first team as soon as I'm ready. 13. Ignacio Scocco to Sunderland 9 of 21 Daniel Jayo/Associated Press Linked with Sunderland for quite some time, it was not a huge surprise that Argentine attacker Ignacio Scocco finally joined the club. The timing is a little strange from Sunderland's perspective, though, as Scocco is now 28 years old and is not coming off the best of seasons for Brazilian club Internacional, where he scored just three goals.

Black Cats supporters will be hoping the dynamic forward can return to the kind of form he showed for Newell's Old Boys in 2012-13, when he bagged 30 goals in all competitions and at times looked unstoppable. 12. Pablo Armero to West Ham 10 of 21 Andrew Medichini/Associated Press The signing of Colombian left-back Pablo Armero on loan until the end of the season by West Ham manager Sam Allardyce looks a very savvy bit of business. Armero made 18 appearances for Napoli this season, has an impressive 49 caps for his national side and, at 27, should be at the peak of his game. Nice work, then, from "Big Sam" to convince the speedster to swap the third-placed team in Italy for the 18th-placed team in England. 11.

Ever Banega to Newell's Old Boys 11 of 21 Alberto Saiz/Associated Press It is not common for highly rated Argentine players to return to their homeland until their careers have begun to wind down, which makes 25-year-old Ever Banega's loan move from Valencia to Newell's Old Boys something of a bombshell. When you consider that Premier League clubs Manchester United and Sunderland were reportedly interested in the classy midfielder, per Sky Sports, it is even more surprising. There is a simple explanation, though. Banega is a lifelong Newell's fanatic, and jumped at the chance to play for the club of his dreams. 10. Liverpool's Lack of Signings 12 of 21 Apichart Weerawong/Associated Press Liverpool are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League table, with Tottenham and city rivals Everton pushing up behind them. A couple of reinforcements during the January transfer window would have been quite useful, then, but it wasn't to be for Brendan Rogers' side. The Reds were particularly keen on signing Yevhen Konoplyanka from Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk and Mohamed Salah from Basel but in the end neither deal went through.

Rogers was fairly tight-lipped about his lack of success in the transfer window. He told Sky Sports : Whatever frustrations I have I would never let you know. This is a club I want to keep together for the longer term and will never be broken by stuff written in the papers. If I have an issue or a problem I don't need to ring up journalists and give them snippets out there, if I have an issue I'll speak with the owner. I said it would've been nice to have got some reinforcements in but that wasn't to be the case and so yesterday has no consequence now. I've got to work with the players I have here. We have 14 games to go, we are still in a great position and the squad is very focused on our objectives so I can't afford to think about what we could or couldn't have done. 9. Diego Forlan to Cerezo Osaka 13 of 21 Martin Mejia/Associated Press The Golden Ball winner from World Cup 2010 is set to add some flair to Japan's J-League after he agreed to join Cerezo Osaka from Internacional in January.

Uruguayan legend Diego Forlan is the first big name to join the Japanese league in quite some time, explains the Herald Sun , and he will be substantially compensated for his adventurousness: Cerezo Osaka, where Manchester United midfielder Shinji Kagawa cut his teeth, will pay Forlan an estimated annual wage of 600 million yen ($5.8 million), according to media reports. That will break the previous J-League record of 300 million yen paid to former England striker Gary Lineker when he joined Nagoya Grampus in 1993, the J-League's inaugural year. In the league's early years, its clubs spent lavishly to recruit the likes of Lineker, Zico and Pierre Littbarski. But with limited attendance and unspectacular TV money, the league has had to manage without big names on its team sheets. In 2013, Brazilian-Japanese defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka of Nagoya Grampus was the best paid J-League player with an annual wage of 160 million yen, according to local media.

Forlan will be the first big name in a long while to play in the J-League and his arrival is likely to liven up a national game that has seen many of its top talents decamp to Europe. 8. The Kim Kallstrom Affair 14 of 21 Bogdan Maran/Associated Press After failing to land German hotshot Julian Draxler, Arsene Wenger and Arsenal had to make do with the arrival of Kim Kallstrom, on loan from Spartak Moscow. Shortly after the Swede arrived in London, however, it was revealed he had a microfracture in his back and would be unable to play for about six weeks. The French coach admitted he almost pulled out of the deal, but Spartak's willingness to pay his wages until he is ready to play again, along with time constraints, convinced him to go proceed anyway. Wenger explained his thought process to Jeremy Wilson of The Telegraph : It crossed my mind not to complete the deal. I would not have signed him if we’d had two or three more days to do something. It was 5 p.m. GMT, so sign him or nobody. We had to sign him in these conditions. We might need the players in March or April.

We think it will be four to six weeks out. 7. Ji Dong-Won to Augsburg/Dortmund 15 of 21 Scott Heppell/Associated Press Fringe Sunderland player Ji Dong-Won must have impressed somebody at Borussia Dortmund in one of his 24 appearances for the English club, as the Champions League finalists snapped him up in one of the more curious moves of the transfer window. The German club will sign the South Korean at the end of the current season after he completes a spell at Augsburg, whom he signed for just a day before the announcement that he will be joining Jurgen Klopp and Co. The 22-year-old forward only scored two goals in three years at Sunderland, but that was enough to convince Dortmund to sign him up. 6. Jermain Defoe to Toronto 16 of 21 Leaving his beloved Tottenham can't have been easy, but Jermain Defoe switched to Major League Soccer club Toronto FC with the aim of earning more first team football with an eye on the World Cup in June and July. He will be available to play for the Reds from February 28. The move has caused quite a stir . 5.

No Signings for Barcelona or Real Madrid 17 of 21 Manu Fernandez/Associated Press Spanish mega-clubs Real Madrid and Barcelona are normally not afraid to flash the cash on the transfer market but both remained remarkably subdued this time around. According to Transfermarkt , neither completed a single bit of business in the winter window. With Atletico Madrid now three points clear at the top of the La Liga table, perhaps both are a now a little nervous about their inactivity. 4. Hernanes to Inter 18 of 21 The one image that will likely stick longest in the memory from this transfer window is the sight of midfielder Hernanes in tears after it was confirmed he would be on his way to Inter from Lazio. The Brazilian had played 156 times for Lazio, and he obviously developed a deep affection for the Roman club but modern football sometimes leaves little room for an individual's emotions. 3. Dimitar Berbatov to Monaco 19 of 21 Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press The EPL has lost one of its great characters with the news that Dimitar Berbatov has moved from Fulham to Monaco.

The former Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham and Manchester United forward will serve as a replacement for injured striker Radamel Falcao at the principality club, bringing an end to a seven-year spell in English football. Even fans of rival Premier League clubs may be sad to see the mercurial Bulgarian striker pack his bags. 2. Adel Taarabt to Milan 20 of 21 Scott Heppell/Associated Press Gifted Moroccan Adel Taarabt may have been on the outer at Fulham (where he was being loaned by QPR), but the midfielder's career has been given a new lease of life with a loan move to Milan. First-time Milan coach Clarence Seedorf will have to first make sure Taarabt is happy and focused in order to get the best out of him, after he has shown only intermittent patches of form in the EPL over the past couple of seasons. This could be the 24-year-old's big break. It is certainly a setting in which he will have no excuses if he fails to fulfill his rich talent. 1.

Juan Mata to Manchester United 21 of 21 Jon Super/Associated Press At just under £40 million, per Transfermarkt , it was the biggest transfer of the January window, but also one of the most surprising. It was well-known that Jose Mourinho was having trouble finding a place for Juan Mata in his Chelsea starting XI but as the club's best player over the past two seasons, few would have expected him to jettison the Spaniard so quickly. The fact that Mata was sold to Manchester United could indicate that Mourinho either doesn't rate the player that highly at all, or he has written off the Red Devils as an immediate threat. FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 English footballers of all time - Sports Mole Football FIFA World Cup countdown: Top 10 English footballers of all time As part of the countdown to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Sports Mole looks at the top 10 players in the history of English football.

By Liam Apicella , Features Editor Filed: Monday, May 5, 2014 at 12:10 UK Last Updated: Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 21:32 UK Try as they might, England have not been able to match their success of 1966, when they lifted the World Cup at the expense of rivals West Germany in front of a buoyant home crowd. They came close at Italia 90 and Euro 96, but on both occasions the Germans exacted revenge at the semi-final stage by prospering from penalty shootouts. This summer, strangely, Roy Hodgson will take his squad to Brazil with very little pressure on their shoulders from either the supporters or media - many of whom believe that simply progressing beyond the group phase would be a success. Here, to continue our countdown to the World Cup, Sports Mole looks at the top 10 players in the history of England. 10.

David Beckham (1996-2009, 115 caps, 17 goals) © Getty Images While there are more technically gifted players than Beckham that have been omitted from this selection, few have given as much to the Three Lions as the 39-year-old did. Having made his debut in September 1996, Beckham's international career had its fair share of highs and lows. He made himself public enemy number one by getting sent off during the defeat on penalties to Argentina at the 1998 World Cup, but he atoned for that by scoring a stoppage-time goal against Greece that saw England qualify for the 2002 World Cup in dramatic fashion. During that tournament, he then laid the Argentina ghost to rest by scoring from the penalty spot in a 1-0 win during the group stages. The 39-year-old made the last of his 115 appearances in an England shirt in 2009, while he retired from club football last year. Among his honours are league titles from England, Spain, the USA and France, as well as a Champions League medal from Manchester United's success in 1999. 9.

Gary Lineker (1984-1992, 80 caps, 48 goals) © Getty Images England has arguably not produced a more natural converter of chances than Lineker, who retired from international football in 1992 just one goal shy of Sir Bobby Charlton 's England record. The now-Match of the Day presenter had a habit of finding the net at the World Cup, so much so that he was the tournament's leading goalscorer in 1986 with six goals and is still the only Englishman to have won the Golden Boot. He followed that up by scoring four more times in 1990, taking his overall total in World Cups to 10 - a tally only six players can beat. He was equally prolific at club level, scoring goals on a regular basis for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and Nagoya Grampus Eight. 8.

Bryan Robson (1980-1991, 90 caps, 26 goals) © Getty Images There are those who believe that England could have gone even further in 1986 and 1990 had Robson not suffered tournament-ending injuries, such was the impact that the midfielder had on the team. Nicknamed 'Captain Marvel', Robson was an energetic midfielder, famed for scoring important goals, as well as having a fierce competitive streak. After starting his career with West Bromwich Albion, Robson went on to win the majority of his honours with Manchester United. When he departed Old Trafford in the summer of 1994, he did so having lifted the Premier League twice, the FA Cup three times, the League Cup once and UEFA Cup Winners' Cup once. 7. Geoff Hurst (1966-1972, 49 caps, 29 goals) © Getty Images Such is the good fortune required on occasions to succeed as a footballer that Hurst may not have been included in this list had Jimmy Greaves not suffered an injury against France during the 1966 World Cup.

With Greaves sidelined, Sir Alf Ramsey turned to Hurst, who grabbed his opportunity with both hands. He scored the only goal of the quarter-final victory over Argentina before famously firing in a hat-trick against the West Germans during the final. The 72-year-old is also revered among West Ham United supporters having scored 242 goals during his 13-year stint at Upton Park. The centre-forward scored during the 1964 FA Cup final as the Hammers defeated Preston North End, while he also featured in the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup success a year later. 6. Gordon Banks (1963-1972, 73 caps, no goals) The International Federation of Football History and Statistics rated Banks so highly that they voted him as the second best goalkeeper of the 20th century behind only Lev Yashin and above Dino Zoff . He kept goal during England's success in the summer of 1966, keeping four clean sheets and making numerous stops during the final against the West Germans. Yet, he produced his finest individual moment for the Three Lions four years later. Playing against Brazil, a cross from Carlos Alberto was met by a powerful header from Pele .

It seemed that everybody was waiting for the net to bulge, but a diving Banks somehow managed to get his hand on the ball to flick it over the crossbar. It's widely regarded to be one of the best saves ever made. At club level he won the League Cup twice, as well as being voted FIFA's Goalkeeper of the Year six times. 5. Tom Finney (1946-1958, 76 caps, 30 goals) Former Liverpool manager Bill Shankly once said of the Preston North legend: " Tom Finney would have been great in any team, in any match and in any age, even if he had been wearing an overcoat." For a while, one-club man Finney was England's leading goalscorer along with Nat Lofthouse , before both were surpassed by Charlton in 1963. His recent death at the age of 91 was met with great sadness, with tributes being paid by some of the biggest names in football. At Preston's Deepdale ground there is a statue of the winger, who made 473 appearances for the Lancashire club, as well as a stand named in his honour. 4.

Stanley Matthews (1934-1957, 54 caps, 11 goals) Stan Mortensen may have scored a hat-trick for Blackpool in the 4-3 victory, but the 1953 FA Cup final will forever be known as 'The Matthews Final'. With the Tangerines 3-1 down with 35 minutes remaining, Matthews's tricky wing play helped spur his side on to win the trophy. Such was his dedication to the game, he played until the age of 50 with Stoke City, while his last England appearance came against Denmark eight years earlier. There was even a clamour by some journalists for him to be chosen for the 1958 World Cup when he would have been 48, but the selectors refrained. Perhaps his greatest achievement, though, was being named the inaugural winner of the Ballon d'Or award in 1956, pipping the likes of Alfredo di Stefano , Raymond Kopa and Ferenc Puskas to the prize. 3.

Duncan Edwards (1955-1958, 18 caps, five goals) But for the tragic events on a Munich runway on February 6, 1958, it's highly likely that Edwards would have topped this list. Along with eight of his Manchester United teammates, the left-half, just 21, died after a plane taking the team home from a European Cup tie in Belgrade crashed as it attempted to take off. It's of course difficult to truly gauge just how good Edwards would have been, but many of those that saw him up close believe that he could have been the greatest ever. Finney once said: "He was so strong people could only see the power, but he had a most delicate touch. It is very sad to think what he might have done if he had been allowed. Unquestionably he would have been in the very highest rank." Meanwhile, Charlton, who played alongside Edwards with England and United, added: "You see, he was so good, when he was around you thought anything was possible. He was more than a great player. Sometimes he seemed like some bright light in the sky.

He was a giant, and even today his loss is the hardest thing to bear." 2. Bobby Moore (1962-1973, 108 caps, two goals) © Getty Images West Ham's Hurst and Martin Peters may have scored the goals that won England the World Cup, but their club teammate Bobby Moore was the cornerstone of a well-organised defence. Captain of the team, the centre-half remains the only Englishman to have lifted the World cup. In days leading up to the tournament in Mexico four years later he was controversially arrested in Colombia, where England had played a warm-up match. It was alleged that he had stolen a bracelet but, with no evidence, he was released and went on to feature as the holders reached the quarter-finals. Earlier in the competition, he produced a memorable challenge to stop Brazil's Jairzinho in full flow. After his death in 1993, Pele said: "He was my friend as well as the greatest defender I ever played against. The world has lost one of its greatest football players and an honourable gentleman." 1.

Bobby Charlton (1958-1970, 106 caps, 49 goals) No player has scored more goals for either England or Man United than the 76-year-old, which is reason alone for him to top this selection. He survived the Munich air disaster of 1958 and a decade later captained United to the club's European Cup success on an emotional night at Wembley, where he scored twice during the 4-1 victory over Benfica. On top of that triumph, he also won the First Division title three times and the FA Cup once. During England's run in 1966 he scored both goals in the win over Portugal at the semi-final stage, with his performances throughout the tournament resulting in him winning the Ballon d'Or that year ahead of Eusebio . England will face Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in the group stages of this summer's World Cup, and you can follow every match live with Sports Mole. Continuing our 50-day countdown to the tournament, we will be looking at the greatest players in France's history tomorrow. You can also see all of the World Cup top 10 lists so far by clicking here .

Who is the greatest English footballer of all time? Bobby Charlton Arsenal arrive in Japan pictures as Arsene Wenger gets serious in transfer market | Daily Mail Online comments Arsenal will get serious in the coming days; simply because they know they have to. The Gunners squad arrived in Nagoya, Japan, last night after a 7-1 win over a Vietnam XI for the final leg of their Far East tour. After the commercial success of the trips to Jakarta and Hanoi, Arsene Wenger's players will be on lockdown during their nine day stay in Japan. An intense training camp awaits them; double training sessions and fewer commercial commitments means Japan is where it gets serious.

Say it with flowers: Arsene Wenger is greeted as Arsenal arrive in Japan to get their pre-season in full flow Return: Wenger manager Nagoya Grampus Eight in Japan in the 1995-96 season before joining Arsenal Touching down: Arsenal have arrived for the Japanese leg of their tour, with Jack Wilshere meeting fans Hotseat: Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Ryo Miyaichi did a Q&A session before signing autographs (below) Larger than life: Wilshere signs a huge poster of himself modelling Arsenal's latest away kit But the Gunners are also determined to get serious in the transfer market in the coming days. They are currently juggling three transfer targets at once: Luis Suarez, Gonzalo Higuain and Wayne Rooney. The vibes coming out of the club are that a decisive move for one of the trio is imminent. But which one? Suarez, despite the fact he will miss the opening six domestic games of the season through suspension, is Wenger's preferred option. As Sportsmail revealed on Tuesday, talks between the Gunners and Liverpool have re-opened after the North Londoners saw an initial offer of £30million rejected.

Doing it for the kids: Lukas Podolski had a laugh with children at Arsenal's 'Soccer Clinic' in Japan Penning his name: Local children queue up to secure Kieran Gibbs' autograph at the training centre Arsenal are currently willing to go to £35million - but Liverpool will not entertain anything under £40million. Arsenal must be decisive in their move for Suarez. Meeting Liverpool's asking price is the only way to do that. Speaking to Wenger after the win in Hanoi, you get the impression that £40million bid is coming - but with Real Madrid lurking ominously in the background, that offer needs to be made sooner rather than later. Wanted: Luis Suarez is Arsenal's top target, while they are also in for Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain (below) Wants out: Wayne Rooney is also a shock target for Arsenal, but he looks set to head for Chelsea Then there's Higuain and Rooney. It's strange to think players of that calibre are viewed Wenger's fallback options - but as it stands that's exactly what they are. However, Arsenal are in serious danger of being beaten to the punch for those two as well.

Chelsea are seemingly in pole position for Rooney, while Napoli have now joined the race for Higuain. If Arsenal aren't getting a little hot under the collar, then they should be. Thrashing: Wenger watched Arsenal beat Vietnam 7-1 thanks to a hat-trick from Olivier Giroud In action: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain makes a break through the defence during the 7-1 thrashing of Vietnam Lurking: Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti also wants controversial striker Suarez to join from Liverpool Imagine if they ended up without any of their three primary targets? They aren't contemplating that for now, confident that stellar signing they promised supporters will be sealed before the transfer window closes. But if it doesn't, then those cries of 'Spend some ******* money' that ring round the Emirates Stadium on a regular basis will get louder. And rightly so. Gary Lineker | CWH Promotions Ltd Home » Gary Lineker Gary Lineker Gary Winston Lineker OBE (born 30 November 1960) is an English former footballer, who played as a striker. After retiring, he became a sports broadcaster and has worked for the BBC, Al Jazeera Sports and Eredivisie Live.

He holds England’s record for goals scored in FIFA World Cup finals, with ten. Lineker began his football career at Leicester City. Despite failing to score in his first ten games, he finished as the First Division’s joint top goalscorer in 1984–85. He then moved to League Champions Everton where he developed as clinical finisher, scoring 40 goals in 57 games. His first team honours came at Barcelona, where he won the Copa del Rey in 1988 and the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1989. He returned to England in 1989, joining Tottenham Hotspur, and over three seasons he scored 67 goals in 105 games and won the FA Cup. Lineker’s final club was Nagoya Grampus Eight and he retired in 1994 after two seasons at the Japanese side. Lineker made his England debut in 1984, earning 80 caps and scoring 48 goals over an 8-year international career, finishing as England’s all-time second highest scorer behind Bobby Charlton.

His international goals-to-games ratio remains one of the best for the country and he is regarded as one of the all-time best English strikers. He was top scorer in the 1986 World Cup and received the Golden Boot, the only time an Englishman has achieved this feat. He is also the only player to have won the English golden boot with 3 different clubs (Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur). Even though he enjoyed a long career, Lineker was never cautioned by a referee for foul play; never once receiving a yellow or red card. As a result of this accomplishment he was honoured in 1990 with the FIFA Fair Play Award. In a senior career which spanned 16 years and 567 competitive games, Lineker scored a total of 282 goals at club level. Added to the 48 goals he scored in internationals, he managed a total of 330 goals. After his retirement from football he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. He moved into broadcasting, working at the BBC, firstly as a pundit on Match of the Day, before he went on to present the flagship show.

Lineker also worked on other programmes at the BBC. He led a consortium that invested in his old club Leicester, saving it from bankruptcy, and was appointed honorary vice-president. Make an enquiry about this sporting legend Your Name (required) Sydney FC : definition of Sydney FC and synonyms of Sydney FC (English) Current season Sydney FC is a professional football (soccer) franchise based in Sydney , New South Wales , Australia and competes in the country's premier football (soccer) competition, the A-League . Sydney FC were inaugural winners of the A-League in 2006 and are considered as one of the most successful teams in Australia having won two national A-League Championships ( 2006 and 2010 ) and one Premiers' Plate [1] ( 2010 ). Conversely, Sydney also remain the only A-League team to have won the OFC Champions League as since 2006, competing A-League teams have gained qualification to the AFC Champions League instead, in which Sydney has also competed finishing 2nd in the group stage of the 2007 season of the tournament and will also compete in the 2011 season.

Having won titles in the W-League and in the National Youth League Sydney hold the distinction of being the only club in the A-League to have won all 3 competitions. Its home ground is Sydney Football Stadium , a 45,500 seat multi-use venue [2] in the suburb of Moore Park . Right from the beginning Sydney FC was marketed as the "glamour club" of the new competition, [3] with the involvement of the club's high-profile personnel, including investor and actor Anthony LaPaglia , ex- Manchester United star Dwight Yorke as the team's first "marquee player" and 1990 FIFA World Cup winner Pierre Littbarski as manager in the first season. [4] Sydney went on to sign Former English International defender Terry Butcher as the 2006–07 season coach, Brazilian superstar midfielder Juninho Paulista in the 2007–08 season, and Socceroos legend John Aloisi as striker in their 2008–09 season, with each as the highest paid footballer in Australia in their respective seasons.

Strikers Benito Carbone of Italy, and Japanese legend Kazuyoshi Miura have also made appearances in the sky blue jersey. Contents Main article: History of Sydney FC Foundation The first steps towards the foundation of Sydney FC were taken in April 2004 when Soccer New South Wales (now Football NSW ) announced their intention to bid for a licence in the new Australian football competition. [5] The preference was for the club to play out of Parramatta Stadium. [6] Sydney FC playing the Los Angeles Galaxy at ANZ Stadium during 2007. The bid was lodged with the Australian Soccer Association (now Football Federation Australia ) on 19 July, challenged only by a consortium headed by Nick Politis , known as the "Sydney Blues", [7] for Sydney's place in the 'one team per city' competition. [8] A public row broke out between the two bidders after reports that the ASA were set to vote in favour of Sydney FC, [9] causing Politis to withdraw his support for a team, [10] and leaving Sydney FC as the only candidate remaining.

Sydney was officially launched as a member of the new 8-team A-League on 1 November 2004, with a 25% stake in the club held by Soccer NSW, the remainder privately owned. [11] Walter Bugno was announced as the inaugural chairman of the club. On 11 December 2004, Soccer NSW announced that it would pull out of its involvement with Sydney FC amid concerns over part owner Frank Lowy's autocratic style in establishing the club and lack of consultation with Soccer NSW on key Sydney FC issues. These included the choice of the Sydney Football Stadium over Parramatta Stadium as the team's home ground, and the erosion of Soccer NSW's initial 100 per cent involvement to just 25 per cent. [12] By February 2005, Sydney had filled 16 of their allowed 20 squad positions—attracting Socceroos Alvin Ceccoli, Clint Bolton , Steve Corica and David Zdrilic as well as youth internationals Justin Pasfield , Mark Milligan , Wade Oostendorp, Iain Fyfe and Jacob Timpano .

[13] German Pierre Littbarski was signed as Head Coach, to be assisted by former Norwich City player Ian Crook . Sydney FC played its first ever match against Manly United FC on 25 March 2005, winning 6–1. [14] Shortly after, Sydney set off on a tour to the United Arab Emirates to play matches against local teams FC Hatta, Al Ain FC and Al Jazira , winning all three. [15] [16] [17] Whilst in Dubai , Sydney FC announced that they had agreed to terms with former Manchester United player Dwight Yorke to join Sydney as their " marquee player " – one paid outside of the $1.5 million salary cap — for two seasons. [18] Pre-League Sydney FC's first competitive match was held against Queensland Roar at Central Coast Stadium in Gosford as part of an Australian qualifying tournament to enter the 2005 Oceania Club Championship . After winning the match 3–0, Sydney went on to defeat Perth Glory and the Central Coast Mariners to win their first piece of silverware and qualify for the Oceania Club Championship, to be held in Tahiti .

Despite an early scare against New Zealand club Auckland City FC , [19] Sydney won all of their matches in the competition and qualified for the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship in Japan. The start of the 2005 Pre-Season Cup marked Sydney FC's first match at Sydney Football Stadium , as well as Dwight Yorke 's first appearance for the club—Yorke scoring the first goal of Sydney's 3–1 win which stretched their unbeaten run to 9 competitive matches (15 including friendlies ). Upon reaching the semi-finals, Sydney's unbeaten run finally ended at 11 with Perth Glory midfielder Nick Ward scoring in injury time to inflict the new club's first ever loss. [20] A-League Sydney FC's first season was ultimately a success. Finishing 2nd on the ladder behind Adelaide United they went on to defeat Central Coast Mariners 1–0 in the 2006 A-League Grand Final with Steve Corica scoring in the second half.

However their success wouldn't last long, with German manager Pierre Littbarski leaving the club due to being forced to accept a lower pay cheque [21] and inaugural marquee player Dwight Yorke being signed by Premier League club Sunderland . Former English international Terry Butcher was signed as their new coach for the 2006–07 season, however it was regarded as an overall failure, with Sydney playing poor football, despite the signing of Alex Brosque and Benito Carbone as a Guest player. Sydney also had 3 points taken away during the season, after it was found that they had breached the Salary cap , involving player David Zdrillic . [22] Despite the off field problems, Sydney scraped into the finals series, however lost out in the semi final to Newcastle Jets . Despite him leading Sydney into the finals, Sydney fans were unhappy with Butchers tactics, and both Butcher and Sydney FC went their separate ways. Sydney would then sign Branko Čulina for their 2007 Asian Champions League campaign, where they finished second in the group, one point behind ultimate champions and J-League heavyweights Urawa Red Diamonds .

Despite the ACL success, Sydney FC's start to the 07–08 season was poor, and the club sacked him, replacing him with former Adelaide United manager John Kosmina . Sydney FC played well for the rest of the season, but got knocked out in the finals by Brisbane Roar . Kosmina couldn't repeat the success of the previous season, replacing Brazilian international Juninho with Socceroos hero John Aloisi on a million dollar contract. However Aloisi didn't perform well at all during the season, and came under heavy fire, along with manager Kosmina, whose tactics were seen as controversial, and his relationship with the media, often becoming angry and frustrated didn't help causes either, many players fell out of favour with the coach, including Steve Corica and Clint Bolton and for the first time in the clubs history, they failed to make the play-offs. As a result Kosmina was fired, and new Owners were brought in – Russian billionaire David Traktovenko . The fresh change at the club was about to bear fruit, when Sydney announced they had signed Czech Republic manager Vítězslav Lavička .

Lavicka completely changed the structure of the club, and for its first time turning it into a serious, European style football club. He kept faith in Steve Corica and John Aloisi and several others who had threatened to walk out on the club, and as a result, Sydney FC won its first premiership in the club's history. Sydney made it to the Grand Final of the 5th season of the A-League after defeating Wellington Phoenix in the preliminary final. The Grand Final was played against Melbourne Victory at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne . Sydney took the lead after 61 minutes through a Mark Bridge header, just seconds after Melbourne had a goal disallowed for offside. Melbourne equalised through Adrian Leijer in the 81st minute, and the game went on to a penalty shootout with no goals scored in extra time. Melbourne skipper Kevin Muscat missed his penalty, with his shot hitting the post. Sydney FC won the Grand Final 4–2 on penalties which handed them their second Hyundai A-League Championship. International competitions Colours and badge Sydney FC's badge since founding in 2004 The primary club colour of Sydney FC is sky blue , which represents the state colour of New South Wales .

The secondary club colour is navy blue , with additional contrasting colours of orange and white . The Sydney FC badge was created and used since the clubs founding in 2004. It features a football set centrally in a stylised crest shape. Above the ball is the shape of three shells of the Sydney Opera House , an internationally recognisable symbol of the city of Sydney. Below the ball is the Commonwealth Star , a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia. Stadium Main article: Sydney Football Stadium Sydney FC play their home matches at Sydney Football Stadium (commonly known as SFS, and formerly known as Aussie Stadium [23] ), located in the Sydney suburb of Moore Park . It was built in 1988 to be the premium "rectangular field" for rugby league matches. It is also now used for association football and rugby union for major matches and domestic competition. The stadium has easy access from the city centre, with shuttle buses running from nearby Central Station on match days. It has been the venue for several Australian international matches (notably World Cup Qualifier against Argentina in 1993).

The stadium's capacity was stated at 41,159 prior to renovations in 2007, although the attendance of the 2006 A-League grand final exceeded this number by over 500. The currently stated capacity is 45,500. Sydney FC have played matches at other Sydney venues. Parramatta Stadium in western Sydney was the venue for an AFC Champions League match against Indonesian football side Persik Kediri in April 2007 when the SFS was unavailable due to a NRL match being played there. A friendly match against Los Angeles Galaxy was played at ANZ Stadium in November 2007 due to its greater capacity, which drew a crowd of 80,295. Some argue that if the home stadium of Sydney FC was moved to the ANZ Stadium in Sydney Olympic Park , then it would attract much larger crowds, making it an easier travel distance from the stadium to the south and south-west districts of Sydney. However, the FFA has said they would like a separate team in Western Sydney .

In December 2011, Sydney played a match at Kogarah Oval against Brisbane Roar , as the SFS being unavailable to concerts being held at the ground that weekend. Panorama of Sydney Football Stadium prior to Sydney FC defeating Melbourne Victory 2–0 to win the 2009–10 Hyundai A-League Premiership in front of 25,407 fans Training ground Sydney FC's primary training ground is at Macquarie University in North Ryde where they use the grounds, they also have advantage of the aquatic centre which they use for post match recovery sessions, leasing the facilities until at least late 2009. Occasionally Sydney will train at the SFS and have been seen after home games having recovery sessions at local beaches such as Coogee Beach , Bondi Beach and Maroubra . Supporters Sydney supporters at the northern end at the Sydney Football Stadium Sydney FC draw support from right across the city of Sydney as the only A-League team from Australia's largest city. The largest supporters group of Sydney FC are known as " The Cove ", [24] and are located at the northern end of Sydney Football Stadium. The name came from the original name given to the settlement of Sydney — Sydney Cove .

This settlement was located on the piece of land that is now the Circular Quay ferry terminal. Cove members attend every home match and also travel as a group around the country to support the team at away matches. As a vocal group, The Cove demonstrates its support by singing football chants , wearing club colours, waving flags and holding banners. On 7 July 2006, Australian rock singer Jimmy Barnes recorded a club song entitled 'Sydney FC For Me' with 25 members of The Cove singing back-up vocals. [25] It was released prior to the start of the 2006–07 season . Rivalries Melbourne Victory — The City Derby — The clash between Australia's two biggest cities is considered the biggest rivalry in the league by both sets of fans. Sydney and Melbourne have been historical rivals for over a century, and their football teams are no exception. The rivalry between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory has become arguably the most bitter in the A League, with almost every match between the two teams characterised by spiteful confrontations, controversy and consistently record-breaking crowds when the 2 teams go head-to-head.

Western Sydney Wanderers — The Sydney Derby — With the introduction of the Western Sydney team into the competition Sydney FC will contest a true local derby for the first time, in the 2012/13 season. Adelaide United — The two strongest teams in the first season had continued their bitterness with each other. While Adelaide took out the Premiership in the regular season, Sydney went on to take out the Championship title in the league finals. Since then, there had only been one game between the two sides decided by more than one goal. However on 21 September 2008 in the Sydney v Adelaide game at SFS Sydney FC took away the game with a 3–0 win, breaking this streak. Central Coast Mariners ( South NSW derby ) and Newcastle Jets — 2 local derbies of New South Wales , with easy travel between Sydney, Newcastle and the Central Coast. Central Coast finished as runner-up from the first season as Sydney took the Championship title. The minor rivalry was expressed in a fantastic 5–4 game in season three, with Sydney victorious due to a penalty kick in stoppage time.

Newcastle defeated Sydney FC in the 2006/07 season 3–2 on aggregate to progress to the minor semi finals. Brisbane Roar – The clash between the 'two state of origins' was first ignited in the 2007–08 Hyundai A-league finals when Brisbane Roar (then known as Queensland Roar) secured victory over Sydney FC after two hard fought legs with the second leg being played in front of a club record crowd of 36,211 at Lang Park . After being stagnant for the seasons to follow, the rivalry between the biggest club in their respective states re-ignited after Sydney FC ended the Brisbane Roar's record-breaking 36-game unbeaten streak in the A-League on December 4, 2011. The return clash in Brisbane saw an on field clash between Sydney's Pascal Bosschaart and Brisbane's Besart Berisha following Brisbane Roar's 2–1 victory at Suncorp Stadium . [26] Academy On 21 December 2009, Sydney FC inaugurated an elite academy to develop young players.

The main goal of the academy was stated as to produce better players by providing technical and tactical knowledge, as well as to identify potential new talent that could represent Sydney in the National Youth League and A League in future. This began a continued commitment from Sydney to invest in and develop junior talent for the benefit of grassroots football. The initial 26 players taken in were drawn from the NSW State League clubs and consisted of junior players aged between 14–18 years old. They started training with the academy at Macquarie University . [27] Current squads Correct as of 18 June 2012. Senior squad Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. No.

Question: What number completes the name of the Japanese team for which Gary Linker played, Nagoya Grampus
Answer: EIGHT