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Defensive Midfield – Frank Rijkaard
One of the best defensive midfielders of his generation, Rijkaard was a force to be reckoned with in the centre of the park. He won the Champions League in 94/95 with van der Sar as he played out the twilight years of his career at his boyhood club, before retirement in 1995. He also spent a successful five year spell at Milan where he is fondly remembered. Rijkaard has moved into coaching and managed the Holland national side before guiding Barcelona to Champions League success against Arsenal in 05/06.
Right Midfield – Alessandro Del Piero
Del Piero is simply a Juventus legend. He played for the Old Lady for 19 years and holds the club’s record for appearances and goals scored. Once the club had been demoted for their part in a match fixing scandal he pledged to stay as captain of the club to cement his place in Juventus folklore. He helped the side to Champions League glory in the 95/96 and has won everything there is to win in Italy. He also won the World Cup with the Azzurri and won 91 caps. Still wowing Australians to this day as he now turns out for Sydney FC in the A League, he is one of the most likeable players of a generation.
Central Midfield – Zinedine Zidane
Midfield maestro Zidane’s career may have been curtailed by an act of violence on the biggest stage of all, but he was an outstanding player. His vision and technique are up there with the best to have graced world football and served him well via spells at Real Madrid and Juventus. Two times Champions League winner, he arguably scored the best goal a final of such magnitude has ever seen with a deliciously controlled volley against Bayer Leverkusen. Although his France career ended in failure he inspired the side to a victory in 1998 with two goals in the final against Brazil. He now has a coaching role at Madrid and is believed to be keen on management, somehow I suspect his side won’t be playing route one football.
Left Midfield – Cristiano Ronaldo
The current Balon d’Or winner was a different animal during the early years he spent alongside van der Sar at Old Trafford. The Portuguese forward was still honing his skills and filling out into his powerful physique in his early years but has since gone on to become the world’s best thanks to his recent individual accolade ahead of Lionel Messi. However, van der Sar saved Ronaldo’s blushes in the 2008 Champions League final when he saved the winning penalty after the attacker had missed his own spot kick in the shoot-out against Chelsea. One of Old Trafford’s most famous sons, the 29 year old’s scoring record at the Bernabeu is also phenomenal and as he enters his peak could yet become the world’s greatest player if he can claim international success with Portugal.
