Football (Soccer), is the world's most popular sport. It has been played all over the globe for well over a century, and has produced a wide selection of players who may be described as influential. The players selected for this article have been picked not just because of their talents on the field, although all of them were at least good club players, but for the impact they had on the sport itself. Players have been picked that span the history of the game, from the early twentieth century, through to the present day, and will be discussed in chronological order.
William "Dixie" Dean was a forward who played for Everton in England in the 1920s and 30s, he still hold the record for the most goals in a single season in the English league, scoring sixty league goals in the 1927-28 season, including all five as Everton beat Manchester United 5-2 early in the campaign, and an amazing run of seventeen goals in the last nine league games. Over his career at the Toffees he scored 383 goals in 433 appearances, almost a goal a game! Many of his goals came from headers, and he revolutionised the ariel aspect of the game at the time with his power and precision. This was at the time of very heavy balls, with a thick laced seam on them, making his heading even more remarkable!
Dean played in Everton's FA Cup final victory in 1933 where players wore numbers on their shirts for the first time, he wore the number nine shirt that has gone on to be the number worn by most centre forwards ever since.
Dean was a true sportsman as well as a gifted goalscorer. In his long and distinguished career he was never booked or sent off. He represented England on sixteen occasions, which may not seem a lot by today's standards, but considering international football was in its infancy this represents a decent number. England did not play in the World Cup during Dean's career.
A player that had a key role in the growth of international football, at national, and club level was the legendary Hungarian "Galloping Major" Ferenc Puskas. Puskas made an unlikely football star, he was short and overweight, and famously described by an England player before their first game against Hungary in 1953 as a "little fat chap"! The Hungarian side had the last laugh however, as led by Puskas they demolished England 6-3 and inflicted England's fist ever defeat at Wembley, and their first defeat to a team from outside the British Isles! A few months later Hungary repeated the trick and thumped England 7-1 in the return match, again Puskas playing a key role.
The Hungarian team, with Puskas at its heart, was the dominant force in the emerging international scene at this time, indeed in the run up to the 1954 World Cup they had gone unbeaten for four years! The team played a different formation to many of their international rivals, and this, combined with the close control skills and fierce shooting of Puskas, was simply something their opponents had no answer to!
Puskas played 84 times for Hungary, before defecting whilst in Spain in 1956 during the Hungarian uprising. He scored an amazing 83 goals for Hungary, giving him an international goalscoring ratio that is virtually unchallenged.
Whilst his defection ended a chapter of his career, Puskas was soon signed by Spanish giants Real Madrid, and he went on to become a key part of their great team of the early 1960 that dominated Spanish and European club football. Many credit Madrid 7-3 win over Eintract Frankfurt in 1960 as being the match that established the European Cup in spectators hearts.
Viv Anderson played for Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest team that won two European Cups and was a force in English football at the end of the 1970s. His form for Forest led him to be selected for England to face Czechoslovakia at Wembley in November 1978. His appearance was historic as he was the first black footballer to represent England, and he broke down barriers allowing many others to follow. Viv Anderson was capped thirty times for England during his career, this may have been higher had Anderson not played at a time when England had several good players in his position competing for an England spot.
Although the primary reason for Anderson being included here is his role in opening doors for black players, he should also be remembered for being an exceptional defender. He won the English League in 1978, the English League Cup in 1978, 1979, and 1987 (while at Arsenal), and two European Cups in 1979 and 1980.
Jean-Marc Bosman was a Belgian footballer who was capped by Belgium at youth level and played in the top division of Belgian football for RFC Liege. Bosman's influence on football has been enormous, although it was achieved in a court of law, rather than on a football pitch.
In 1990 Bosman was at the end of his contract with Liege, and wanted to leave the club to play for a club in France. Liege refused to let him leave without receiving a transfer fee for him, despite the fact his contract has expired. Bosman took the club and the football authorities to court and a five year legal battle followed. Bosman finally won his fight, and as a result footballers in the EU now have much more freedom of movement and the clubs have less power to demand fees for players who are at the end of their contracts.
Bosman's victory has changed how football's transfer system operates, and now players are often able to negotiate much bigger salaries as clubs fight to prevent their star players leaving without the clubs receiving a fee.
David Beckham is another player whose impact off the field is at least as big as on it! He was part of the Manchester United youth side that won the FA Youth Cup in 1992, and he became a regular in the first team in the 1995-96 season. His career with the club was littered with trophies, winning the English Premier League six times, the FA Cup twice, and the Champions League (Successor to European Cup), before leaving the club in 2003 to join Real Madrid. At Madrid Beckham's career continued to flourish, winning the Spanish League in 2007 before surprising many by electing to join LA Galaxy in the US Major Soccer League. Beckham is currently on Loan at AC Milan as part of a "time-share" deal with Galaxy, that allows him to play for both clubs as the seasons do not run concurrently.
As well as a highly successful club career, Beckham is England's most capped outfield player, having recently beaten the record of legendary England captain Bobby Moore's record of 109 caps. Beckham captained England on 58 occasions.
The enormous celebrity status that Beckham obtained off the field as well as on it sets him apart from his contemporaries. Wherever Beckham travels, from the USA, to Japan he is mobbed by huge crowds. His fame transcends football, and has given him vast wealth through numerous high profile advertising deals promoting a wide variety of businesses, especially in the fashion sector. His marriage to Pop-Star Victoria Adams (now Beckham), a former member of "The Spice Girls", only added to Beckham's celebrity. Such is his off the field celebrity status, that Arena Magazine named Beckham as Britain's most influential man under 40 in 2007!
All of the players mentioned in this article have influenced the sport of football in their own way. They have played in different eras, and have had varied careers, but football is richer as a sport for the contributions of them all.