Starting Eleven: Greatest Football Players of My Lifetime

Heather Mitts - Not on my list

I don't like Greatest of All Time lists. How can today's so-called baseball experts, for example, say Babe Ruth was the greatest player/hitter of all time when none of them are old enough to have seen him play in person? Or even on television? There's no validity in those lists, especially when they're based just on stats. I mean, c'mon, there are subtle differences and preferences in players that separate the men from the boys. Without seeing them play in person, how can you sincerely judge.

Therefore, I generally ignore, or at least, don't put much credence in those lists.

What I do like are people who reasonable enough to concede the point and couch their lists to players they've observed in their lifetimes. So what follows is a list of the greatest footballers of my lifetime; I'm 42, and really didn't start observing football closely until my early teens, which gives you a frame of reference of 30 years more or less, 1980 to today.

It's my list--in no particular order. Have at it.

1. Diego Maradona
2. Raul Gonzales
3. Cristiano Ronaldo
4. Xavi Hernandez
5. Zinedane Zidane
6. Ian Rush
7. Luis Figo
8. Marco VanBaasten
9. Peter Schmeichel
10. Paolo Maldini
11. Rui Jordao