10 famous 'One-club men' in football

Ryan Giggs made his professional debut in 1991 and went on to play for 23 more years

A one-club man, as the name suggests refers to a player who joined a club as a young prospect and subsequently developed and went on to serve the club for long periods. In modern day football, one-club men have become scarce owing to large pay offers and hunger for glory at the highest level.

2015 saw players like Iker Casillas and Bastian Schweinsteiger bid goodbye to clubs where they had started their professional careers and went on to become footballing greats. Bastian Schweinsteiger bid farewell to the Bavarians and went to Manchester United stating that he wanted to prove himself outside of Germany as well.

The increasing competitiveness at the club level has diminished gestures of goodwill from the management, evident from Casillas’s reluctant departure from Real Madrid. With players being lured by lucrative offers these days, it will be interesting to see what the future holds for the likes of Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Daniele De Rossi etc., who have considerable playing years left in them.

Let us take a look at 10 famous one club men and their achievements with the respective clubs.

#1 Ryan Giggs – Manchester United (1990-2014)

After making his debut as a left winger in 1991, Ryan Giggs broke into the first team in the very next season at an early age of 17. His impressive performances earned him the PFA Young Player of the year in 1992 and became the first of many Manchester United youth players to rise into the first team under Sir Alex Ferguson.

He was also awarded with the PFA Young Player of the year in 1993 and became the first player in the history of the Premier League to achieve this honour in consecutive seasons.

He played in every single Premier League season during his career and managed to score in every season apart from the one he announced his retirement. He holds the club record for the most competitive appearances.

During his stint at United, he won 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two Champions League titles. He also has two runner-up medals from the Champions League, three FA Cup finals and two League Cup finals, as well as being part of the team five times when it finished second in the Premier League.

He is one of the most celebrated players in Premier League’s history, having been elected into the PFA Team of the Century in 2007, Premier League Team of the Decade in 2003 and the FA Cup Team of the Century.

#2 Paolo Maldini – AC Milan (1985-2009)

Despite being a defender, Maldini was placed third in the Ballon dOr in 1994 and 2003

After making his first appearance at the age of 16, he broke into the first team as the right-back a year later. His prowess with his left foot was noticed and hence was shifted to his iconic position of left-back.

Regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Maldini managed to play high calibre football throughout his career spanning over 25 years. Equally good with both foot, he was one of the few players in the world gifted with the ability to operate at any of the back four positions.

He won several honours at AC Milan - seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles and five Champions League titles.

Maldini's personal achievements are also impressive. He was elected into the UEFA Team of the Year twice, chosen as Serie A Defender of the Year once and placed third in the Ballon dOr twice. He also won the UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2007, when he was 39 years old.

He holds the record for the most appearances in European competitions. He also holds the record for the fastest goal scored in the history of the UEFA Champions League finals, finding the net in just 50 seconds.

#3 Javier Zanetti – Inter Milan (1995-2014)

Zanetti holds the record for most appearances by a non-Italian born player for an Italian club

Javier Zanetti made his first appearance for Inter Milan in 1995 and his inspiring performances awarded him with the captaincy in 1999. He went on to captain the club till his retirement in 2014, earning the nickname “Il Capitano”.

He is known for his versatility having operated on both wings, both as a fullback and a winger. He was also employed in a defensive midfield role by Jose Mourinho in the 2008-09 season.

Zanetti won 16 trophies at the club, 15 of which came under his captaincy that includes five Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles and a Champions League title. 2009-10 season made him the only captain to win a treble with an Italian club.

He was also named five times in the UEFA Team of the Year. He was deservedly rewarded following his retirement, with the club retiring his number 4 jersey as a recognition to his career and naming him as the Vice President.

#4 Francesco Totti – Roma (1992-Present)

Totti is the second highest goalscorer of all time in Italian league history

Over 300 goals and counting. Totti is more than just the captain; a talismanic symbol of the club. The greatest player in the club’s history is also one of the greatest Italian players of all time.

Totti had a slow and steady start to his playing career, becoming a starter in his third season with the club. He predominantly played as an attacking midfielder but has also been employed as the main striker or along the wings.

Known for his exceptional vision, accurate passing, playmaking prowess, and goal-scoring abilities, Totti is still going strong into his 25th season with Roma. He is the club’s top scorer and the most capped player in the club’s history.

Totti won the Serie A title once while finishing as runner-up on eight occasions. He has also won two Coppa Italia and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.

He has won the Oscar Del Calcio a record 11 times, that includes five Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Goal of the Year awards, one Serie A Goalscorer of the Year award and one Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award.

#5 Rogerio Ceni – Sao Paulo (1992-2015)

Rogerio Ceni is the highest scoring goalkeeper in the history of football

Rogerio Ceni represented the Brazilian club Sao Paulo for over two decades. In an age where goalkeepers are known for their reflexes and shot-shopping abilities, Ceni possessed something extra. He was a dead-ball specialist.

Ceni started taking penalties and free-kicks for Sao Paulo in 1997. For a career that spanned till 2014, he scored 131 goals for his club. In addition to his ability with the ball at his feet, Ceni was also an excellent shot-stopper famous for his outstanding saves in the final of 2005 FIFA Club World Championship.

He won 19 titles with the Brazilian giants, including three league titles and one FIFA Club World Cup. His personal honours include two Brazilian Footballer of the Year awards and the Golden Ball at the FIFA Club World Cup.

#6 Jamie Carragher – Liverpool (1996-2013)

Carragher has made the most appearances in European competitions for Liverpool

During the initial stages of his career, he was majorly used as a utility player operating as a centre-half, full-back, and defensive midfielder according to the team’s needs. After a slow start to his career, he made 44 appearances in the 1998-99 season and was named the club’s Player of the Year.

A major breakthrough came in the 2004-05 season when manager Rafael Benitez moved him to centre-half. He developed as a strong and positionally astute defender and made the centre-back position his own for the rest of his career.

Following his inspiring performances, he was named as the vice-captain in 2003. Didier Drogba named Carragher as the toughest opponent he had ever played against, owing to his aggressive nature.

His honours include two FA Cups, three League Cups, two FA Community shields and a Champions League title. He was also named in the PFA Team of the Year once and won Liverpool Player of the Year award thrice.

#7 Xavi – Barcelona (1998-2015)

Xavi is viewed as being the embodiment of the tiki-taka passing style

A product of La Masia, Xavi made his debut in 1998. Xavi finished his debut season with 2 goals in his 26 appearances and was named the 1999 La Liga Breakthrough Player of the Year. Subsequently, he took the role of Barcelona’s principal playmaker following Pep Guardiola’s injury in the 1999-2000 season.

He kept getting better with age bagging numerous assists and occasionally finding the back of the net. Following consistent performances, Xavi was named as the vice-captain of Barcelona in the 2004-05 season.

No Barcelona fan can forget the 6-2 victory against rivals Real Madrid in the 2008-09, where Xavi was the star of the match making four assists. He also led Barcelona to Champions League success, making 7 assists in the process. He also made most assists (20) in La Liga that season.

Having been a part of Barcelona’s successful years where he won 28 titles, his personal achievements makes him more special. He was awarded the IFFHS World’s best playmaker award for four consecutive years from 2008 to 2011. He finished third in the Ballon dOr race in 2010 and 2011, losing to Lionel Messi on both occasions.

He finally left Barcelona in 2015 and told in an interview that he’d like to come back to Barcelona in the future for a managerial role.

#8 Tony Adams – Arsenal (1983-2002)

-Tony Adams was named as the captain of Arsenal at a tender age of 21

Signed as a schoolboy in 1980, Tony Adam made his first team debut in 1983 shortly after his 17th birthday. He broke into the first team in the 1985-86 season and went on to become the club’s youngest-ever captain two years later at the age of 21.

He led the club to the League Cup and FA Cup double in 1992-93, with Arsenal becoming the first English side to achieve this feat. He remained as the captain of the club till his retirement in 2002.

He won four top flight division titles, three FA Cups, two Football League Cups and three FA Community shields. He also captained Arsenal to title winning campaigns in three different decades, a unique feat unlikely to be repeated in the future.

Owing to his loyalty to the club, his statue was unveiled at Emirates in 2011 to honour him as a part of the 125th-anniversary celebrations.

#9 Steven Gerrard – Liverpool (1998-2015)

Gerrard’s heroics in the 2005 Champions League final will be long remembered

Steven Gerrard made his Liverpool first-team debut two seasons after Jamie Carragher. After failing to contribute in his first season, he improved his performances exponentially as he regularly started to pair Jamie Redknapp in midfield.

After being a part of Liverpool’s highly successful 2000-01 season, the then manager Gerard Houllier saw the leadership qualities in Gerrard and made him the club captain in 2003.

Gerrard’s stature among the fans exceeded limits when he turned down an offer from Chelsea in 2004. Jose Mourinho openly expressed his desire to have the talismanic midfielder play under him.

Gerrard led Liverpool to a miracle at Istanbul, as they converted a 0-3 deficit at half time to 3-3 within a span of 6 minutes. The match later went on to penalties and Liverpool won the 2005 Champions League. Gerrard was the key player as he scored the first goal and was fouled inside the 18-yard area for a penalty that led to the equaliser.

Following the Champions League success, Gerrard turned down another lucrative offer from Chelsea etching his loyalty to Liverpool. He stood with the team during the hard times and tasted his share of success as well. He won 9 trophies that include two FA Cups, three Football League Cups, one FA Community Shield and one Champions League title.

He eventually moved to LA Galaxy after he ran out of contract in 2015.

#10 Paul Scholes – Manchester United (1992-2011 & 2012-13)

Paul Scholes has made 499 league appearances for Manchester United

Despite turning into a professional in 1993, Paul Scholes made his debut a year later in the Football League Cup scoring twice in a 2-1 victory over Port Vale. He made 17 appearances in the league and scored five goals.

With time, Scholes grew into one of the best midfielders in the world. He was capable of performing any of the midfield roles, be it defensive, attack or playmaking. Inch-perfect passing, long range shooting abilities, tactical intelligence and high work-rate are a few traits that define this midfield maestro.

Fellow footballers Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Edgar Davids openly expressed their admiration for his talent. While Xavi portrayed him as his role model, former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola considered him as the best midfielder of his generation.

He won several honours that include 11 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles, three FA Cups and two Football League Cups. He also came back from retirement in 2012 to help an injury-stricken Manchester United team and went on to win the title.

BONUS: John Terry – Chelsea (1998-Present)

Captain, Leader, Legend. John Terry

Excluding a short spell at Nottingham Forest, John Terry has spent the rest of his professional career at Chelsea. After making his debut in 1998, he established himself in the 2000-01 season when he was voted as the club’s player of the year.

Following Desailly’s retirement, Terry was chosen as the club captain by Jose Mourinho. This move was applauded by all as he led Chelsea to the Premier League title in record-breaking fashion with the best defensive record boasting of the most number of clean sheets and most points accrued.

A commanding defender, Terry is known for his leadership abilities and the ability to read the game. As the captain, he won a total of four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups and one UEFA Champions League since 2004.

He was elected into the UEFA Team of the Year and PFA Team of the year four times each. Awarded with the UEFA Club Defender of the Year thrice, he is also the highest-scoring defender in the history of the Premier League.

At the age of 34, Terry played in all the 38 matches of the title-winning campaign in 2014-15. He has immense love and respect from the Chelsea fans for his commitment towards Chelsea. Terry has now extended his contract until 2017.

Honourable Mentions: Gary Neville (Manchester United), Carles Puyol (Barcelona), Nene (Benfica), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Igor Akinfeev (CSKA Moscow), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)

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Edited by Staff Editor