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#3 Jordan Henderson - England/Liverpool
People are finally starting to put some respect on Jordan Henderson's name. The Liverpool captain has been on the receiving end of far too much unwarranted criticism in the past. He is not a footballer who is very easy on the eye but Henderson has become a vital cog for Liverpool in recent times.
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The central midfielder is an intelligent footballer with great tactical intelligence and spatial awareness. He complements those qualities with his hard work and tenacity. Hendo is also a leader of men and while he is on the pitch, Liverpool's energy levels hardly ever drop.
It wasn't long back that Henderson was written off as a squad player. But he put his head down and became Liverpool's captain. In the 2018-19 season, he led from the front as Liverpool won the Champions League title.
In the subsequent season, he again played a starring role as the Merseysiders won the league title for the first time in the Premier League era.
#2 Jorginho - Italy/Che
Newsflash for those who have been living under a rock. This is Jorginho's summer. The midfield metronome of both Chelsea and the Italian national side, Jorginho, is fresh off winning the UEFA Men's Player of the Year.
After arriving at Chelsea in 2018 under Maurizio Sarri, Jorginho was constantly criticized. Detractors said he's too weak to play a holding role in midfield. They proffered the argument that he was slow in possession and that Sarri rates him highly only because he was a good player for Napoli.
Jorginho won the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup with Chelsea this summer. In between those triumphs, he won the Euro 2020 with Italy and was a standout performer for Roberto Mancini's side. He dispensed his playmaking and defensive duties in midfield with aplomb in all competitions this past season.
Jorginho is also letting his critics have it. In an interview with The Players' Tribune, he said:
"We all remember what they were saying, right? I was too slow. I was too weak. I was Sarri’s son. Man, it made me so angry. But listen, they underestimated me.
"I just used the criticism as fuel. I was thinking, These people are going to be embarrassed. And now I’m sitting here with a Europa League title and a Champions League title. So to all the critics, I just want to say one thing.
"Thank you. Really, thank you all."
#1 Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal/Manchester United
Has there been another footballer in the history of the sport who has had as much of a flair for the dramatic as Cristiano Ronaldo has? He put it on display in midweek as Portugal hosted the Republic of Ireland in a World Cup qualifier.
Ronaldo, tied with Iran's Ali Daei for most number of goals scored in men's international football, lined up to take a penalty in the 9th minute. He had the perfect chance to break the record and go clear of Daei but he missed from the spot.
The Republic of Ireland then took the lead through John Egan's flicked header in the 45th minute. Just when it looked like the Irish had it wrapped up, Ronaldo scored two goals in the 89th and 96th minutes to hand Portugal the win.
The Portuguese international has shown us throughout his career that he is inevitable. That no matter how many people write him off, he will have his moment. It has been a career replete with such incredible individual moments.
Ronaldo has silenced his critics in the most dramatic fashion multiple times. During an El Clasico in the 2016-17 La Liga season Lionel Messi held his shirt up to the Santiago Bernabeu faithful after scoring the winning goal. Ronaldo responded in kind in front of Barcelona fans after scoring the winning goal in the Spanish Super Cup at the start of the 2017-18 season.
Ronaldo's career after hitting 30 years of age is a collection of moments where he has consistently silenced his critics. He has single-handedly orchestrated several awe-inspiring comebacks for Real Madrid in the Champions League.
Every time he's written off, he comes back stronger. Despite being 36-years-old, the Manchester United man continues to be one of the best players in the world.
