End of an Era!

Posted by Unknown at Thursday, June 06, 2013 | 1 comments

End of an Era! by Amit Hassan

This year, the world of football loses many of its greatest players and managers to retirement. David Beckham, Paul Scholes, Michael Owen, Philip Neville, Michael Ballack, Mark van Bommel and Jamie Carragher all hanging up their boots this season. Even the managers like Sir Alex Ferguson and Jupp Heynckes calling it a day. It is quite sad for anyone who loves football because each and every one of them was special.

Sir Alex Ferguson

If you are a Manchester United fan like me, I am pretty sure it’s a day you never wanted to come or look forward to. From the players point of view they’ve lost a mentor/father figure who can guide them in the right way in terms of football. As Gary Neville said on his interview he made a club which was a laughing stock to one of the greatest football club in the world.Once you were a Manchester United player under him, you were always a Manchester United player, even if you left the club- that’s how influential he was. Who would forget his famous quote on Liverpool "My greatest challenge is not what's happening at the moment, my greatest challenge was knocking Liverpool right off their fucking perch. And you can print that." Tributes from the players, ex-players, managers and people not related to football shows how big he was in the world of Football. And if you are looking from perspective of the media the game has become a little less interesting because they've lost an incredible character, somebody who always played fantastic football and chewed gum. For me it is end of an era, the era when Sir Alex made Manchester United. “The Boss” During his 26 years at the club, he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League and two UEFA Champions League titles. His last speech also reflects what the man is all about, praising his players, coaches, fans and telling them to back the next manager who will be on charge. I believe it is one of the most difficult jobs in the world and no one can emulate. They say that no one is bigger than a Club but Sir Alex Ferguson was the closest.

Paul Scholes

Paul Scholes ‘The Ginger Kid’ is known for his technique; one-touches, passing abilities, calmness on the ball even under pressure and rarely giving away possession. An outstanding player with a blazing imagination, the necessary aggression and a little streak of nastiness. The midfielder has won 11 Premier League, three FA Cup and two UEFA Champions League.The retiring Manchester United star has long been considered one of the finest players of his generation. World Cup winners such Zidane and Xavi both dubbed Scholes the best midfielder they had come up against while the likes of Edgar Davids, Cristiano Ronaldo, Iniesta,Viera and even Pele have all gushed about the ginger-haired playmaker. Scholes' personality off the field has been described as "shy" and his lifestyle is seen to be in stark contrast to the lifestyles of the stereotypical professional footballer.In a rare interview before Euro 2004, Scholes described his ideal day as "train in the morning, pick up my children from school, play with them, have tea, put them to bed and then watch a bit of TV."Scholes told The Times- “I love football, have done since I first started kicking a ball as a boy. But I am not interested in the things that go with it. For me, it is about the game, the pleasure of striking a ball. It is not about having my name up in lights”. That just sums Scholes up. In a day and age where footballers change clubs like their underpants, striving for more money, more exposure and more praise, Scholesy will just settle with playing the game. For me Scholes is the Last of his Kind!

David Beckham

Beckham became the first English player to win titles in four different countries. If that’s not a slap down to the critics who reckon he was all style and no substance, then perhaps a look at his record is. For me, he is the biggest English footballer of all time both on and off the pitch, the perfect role model for youngsters.Beckham's professional career began with Manchester United, making his first-team debut in 1992 aged 17.With United, Beckham won the Premier League title six times, the FA Cup twice, and the UEFA Champions League in 1999.He then played four seasons with Real Madrid, winning the La Liga championship in his final season with the club. In July 2007 Beckham signed a five-year contract with Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy. While a Galaxy player, he spent two loan spells in Italy with AC Milan in 2009 and 2010.In international football, Beckham made his England debut on 1 September 1996, at the age of 21. He was captain for six years during which he played 58 times. He has 115 career appearances to date. He played in the greatest midfield I’ve ever seen at United –David, Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and Paul Scholes. Beckham was a crosser of the ball, a passer of the ball. He had incredible stamina and energy. And when you think back on the way football has changed over the past years he has probably been the most influential player in that time out of England in terms of transforming the game. Every clothing garment he wore, every hairstyle was followed – not just in football but out of football. David Beckham is the reason why I bought Adidas predators and his retiring changes nothing I will still go to the hairdresser as I've done since I was 13 and ask him to make me look like David Beckham.

Jamie Carragher

Liverpool fans knew it was a real probability that he would hang up his boot this season, but most would have hoped it was still a good few years away from becoming a reality. After 17 years, over 700 appearances, 35 England caps and just one club,Legendary Jamie Carragher wore the famous red shirt for the final time against QPR. The one club man was never blessed with electrifying pace or the ability to deliver eye of a needle pass, what Carragher lacked in technical ability he made up for with desire, commitment and devotion.Desire to get the best out of the ability he was given. It is a rare commodity in modern day football that a player spends his entire career with just one club, and nobody is perfect example what Liverpool Football Club stands for more than Jamie Carragher. It is often said that Steven Gerrard is the heart of Liverpool and Carragher is its soul. His honours with Liverpool include two FA Cups, three League Cups, two Community Shields, one Champions League, one UEFA Cup and two Super Cups.Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand tweeted: "Jamie Carragher has been a great servant to Lfc. Great player&a top fella! Funny guy! Nutter when we were kids but management material now."BBC pundit Gary Lineker also said: "Jamie Carragher will hang up his boots at the end of the season. Those boots were worn by a player respected by everyone in the game."The defender’s one of the biggest regrets is not winning the Premier League with Liverpool. Whilst the majority of youngsters kicking a ball around in the park will dream of being the next Steven Gerrard or Luis Suarez, Carra can lay claim to representing everything that not just the club, but that the city of Liverpool represents: a hard-working local boy who lived his dream.

Michael Ballack

Michael Ballack, the number “13” was known for his passing range, scoring ability, ball skills, and commanding presence in the midfield. He is among the top goal scorers in the history of German international team. He was selected by Pelé as one of FIFA's 125 Greatest Living Players, and as the UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year in 2002. He has won the German Footballer of the Year award three times – in 2002, 2003 and 2005. The former "Capitano" began his career as a youth at Chemnitz then he was transferred to Kaiserslautern in 1997. He won the Bundesliga in his first season at the club which was his first major honour. He became a first team regular in 98/99 season and also earned his first senior national cap for Germany. He moved to Leverkusen for €4.1 million in 99. The 2001/02 season saw him win a number of runners-up medals. Then a €12.9 million move to Bayern Munich led to further honours, the team won the Bundesliga and German Cup double in 2003, 2005 and 2006. Ballack had become a prolific goal scorer from midfield, scoring 58 goals for Bayern Munich between 2002 and 2006. He joined Chelsea in 2006 and won his first English honours, the FA Cup and League Cup, in his first season at the club. In 2007 Chelsea reached their first ever Champions League final with Ballack in the team. He also went on to win the FA Cup again in 2009 and then once more as part of a league and cup double in 2010.Any perfection is flawed, and Ballack, though not perfect, was more than flawed. His temperament wasn't always the best. He wasn't always far from a booking or two. Then there’s his attraction to the number 13, a number widely regarded as unlucky. If there was a Ballon d’Or for ill-luck, nobody would rival Michael. He played in both the Champions League and Euros final and never won any. Add the World Cup final he missed and it’s just sad. You wonder whether he looks back at those times and ponders what he might have done differently. Michael Ballack's contract at Bayer Leverkusen was not extended in the summer. Also, his international career ended on a low as he got ruled out of the 2010 World Cup and the captaincy went to Phillip Lahm. Thanks to huge turnover of talent in the squad, he would never feature again for Die Mannschaft. What a shame!In an interview he said "It was a privilege to work with world class coaches and fantastic players. Of course I am going to miss to play in front of 80,000 spectators or scoring goals.

Whatever I write or say about is not enough. I have grown up watching them on TV, these players and managers made us fall in love with the beautiful game!

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