Keeper: Gianluigi Buffon
“He was the first keeper that I loved watching as a child. I always remember him playing in the World Cup or a big tournament. He’s one of the greatest and I’ve been following him for 20 years.”
Defender: Sergio Ramos
“He’s another player that I’ve been enamored with from a very young age. Although he’s a central defender, he has always been able to score some big goals. He plays with a lot of passion, battles to the end and leaves everything on the pitch for his club and for his national team and I really respect and admire him for that.”
Defensive midfielder: Claude Makelele
“He may not be a popular choice, but Makelele was the first defensive midfielder that I enjoyed watching play and I believe he changed the game of football. He won so many tackles and covered so much space, he made the game so much easier for his teammates.”
Attacking midfielder: Kaka
“He was the last player who won the Ballon d’Or prior to the Messi and Ronaldo era. I was also lucky enough to play against him in the MLS. He was big, about my size, but his ability to move the ball so quickly was phenomenal. Kaka was a great player and I remember when he helped Milan win the Champions League almost singlehandedly.”
Striker: Dimitar Berbatov
“It was always fun watching him play and he made everything look so easy. He wasn’t an amazing athlete but his ability with the ball was simply fantastic. He was always smarter than his opponent. He was also big but his touch was terrific and like I said he was just so much fun to watch.”