Heroes

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From the home front to the global game, we find out who gave Sir Alex and his players the rush...

Sir Alex on Denis Law
Denis Law was my hero as a player. I idolised him. When I first met him I was so excited. It was at a game in Paris, he had played in the first half and we went for a cup of tea afterwards. I thought, ‘This is it, I’ve made it, I’m having a cup of tea with Denis Law!’ He epitomised to me what a Scotsman is. He was daring and courageous, he had that bravado about him and he had style. He was a truly fantastic footballer.

Gary Neville on Bryan Robson
I always thought he was everything that a United player should be, and still do. Even when I watch footage of him in action now I always think of him giving everything for the cause at the defensive end of the pitch and then throwing everything at the ball to get it in the back of the net at the other end. Roy Keane was very similar in that sense and I’m sure that if I’d have been a kid growing up at school watching when Roy was playing he’d have been my hero. For me, those two players are just everything I think a Manchester United player should be. Blood, guts and thunder with real class as well. Don’t get me wrong you’ve got the skilful players like Giggsy, Scholes, Cantona and all those, but for me growing up it was always the Bryan Robson-type player that I loved.

Rafael on Roberto Carlos
It has to be Roberto Carlos. He won three World Cups and did very well in Europe even though he was very small. Sometimes, coming from Brazil, players don’t succeed in Europe, but he was successful for a long, long time. My favourite goal that he scored was for Real Madrid, the shot that he hit from the corner flag that flew into the top corner. The other was a free-kick against Italy in Le Tournoi, it was going

about a metre wide and swerved in – just an unbelievable goal from a great player.

Anderson on Rivaldo, Ronaldinho
I’m a big admirer of Rivaldo for his technique, his passing and his aggressive way of playing and I’m also a huge fan of Ronaldinho. They are both excellent with the ball at their feet – the way they treat the ball is fantastic. I’m sure they’ll be remembered in football history for many years to come. Some people have made comparisons between myself and Ronaldinho and I feel very proud about that, but you have to remember that Ronaldinho is an established top class footballer who has been named the best player in the world twice. He’s a great guy and a good friend of mine, but no two players are the same – Ronaldinho is Ronaldinho and Anderson is Anderson. It’s an honour to play alongside him [for Brazil], it’s something every footballer in the world would like to do. He’s a great player and I hope one day I can reach the level he has reached.

Rodrigo Possebon on Zinedine Zidane
I think Zinedine Zidane is one of the greatest ever players. I loved watching him play, even though he almost single-handedly knocked Brazil out of the World Cup twice! He had everything and I always used to look up to him.

John O'Shea on Paul McGrath
Paul McGrath was a big favourite at United, but I watched him a lot for Ireland too. What I liked about him was he was as comfortable at playing in midfield as he was at playing centre-back. It wasn’t a problem to him. He was the versatile type! And not only did he have great ability, he was also very calm on the ball. He was written off with his knees, but he went on to become the PFA Player of the Year. That shows you what a top player and determined character he was. He was a special player and someone who I looked up to.

Jonny Evans on Roy Keane
I reckon 80 per cent of young players now who supported Manchester United when they were growing up would tell you Keano was their hero, just because of the way he was and the character he is. He was an awesome player and an incredible leader. I watched the Treble season as an 11-year-old in Belfast, having supported United all my life, and can still see those images in my head of the Champions League semi-final against Juventus and how Keane totally changed the game. He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck even though he knew he was suspended for the final. That stuck in my mind when I was growing up. There are other moments as well like when we won 4-2 at Arsenal and the banter between Keane and Vieira in the tunnel beforehand. As a supporter it doesn’t get any better than that.

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The Heroes series continues with tributes to more football legends...

Ben Foster on Peter Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel was always the player I looked up to. He was a cut above the rest in his era and he changed the face of goalkeeping. I still try to model myself on him and use aspects of his game in mine. He produced some unbelievable saves - I still watch a lot of them again on You Tube. One that sticks out is the starfish jump to deny Zamorano in United's Champions League win over Inter in 1999. That moment just summed him up – he made himself unbeatable at times.

Dimitar Berbatov on Ivan Berbatov, Marco van Basten, Alan Shearer
There are three players I really looked up to when I was a kid. My father, Ivan (who played professionally for local club Pirin Blagoevgrad) taught me a lot, so I have a lot to thank him for. The others were Marco van Basten and Alan Shearer. When you hear these names - maybe not my father! [laughs] - van Basten and Shearer, you don't need to know why they were great players. They scored goals and played magnificent football. They were the best. But I didn't ever try to copy them, because you must have your own style of playing. If you start copying someone, I don't think it will be you. You must stay with what you have. They inspired me to be the best player that I could be rather than made me want to replicate everything they did. But I watched them a lot, I had many video tapes of them and all their goals. Sometimes I watch the videos just to remind me of how good they were.

Darron Gibson on Roy Keane
I'd have to say Roy Keane. Obviously he's Irish and was arguably one of the greatest midfielders in the world over the last ten years. His goal and performance against Juventus in the 1999 Champions League semi-final were just fantastic.

Patrice Evra on Romario
I didn't have a football hero when I was a child; I just loved to play the game. I never thought to myself one day I'd like to be as good or as famous as a certain player - I simply played football because I loved the game. As I got older I started to follow Romario a lot. I wouldn't say he was my hero, but he was certainly a player I got excited about watching.

Edwin van der Sar on Marco van Basten
I didn't really have a hero growing up, but the player that stood out for me as I got older was Marco van Basten. His famous volley in the Euro '88 final [against the Soviet Union] which helped clinch the European Championships for Holland is definitely my favourite moment. He was top scorer in the tournament and that goal is one of the best anyone's ever scored.

Ji-sung Park on Dunga, Jung-Hwan Yoon
When I was young I looked up to Dunga, the Brazilian, as well as Korean midfielder Jung-Hwan Yoon. As a kid I played in the same position as Dunga, so I admired him because of that. Also, it seemed like everyone around him was so confident in him – the fans, the coaching staff and all the players. If he was on the pitch, people believed the team would win. I liked the way he inspired everyone and I wanted to do the same.

Darren Fletcher on Fernando Redondo
It was Fernando Redondo. He was a brilliant central midfielder and that’s where I always played when I was growing up. He’s a player who caught my eye from a young age. I loved the way he played, how he sat in midfield and controlled the game. He sprayed passes around and was very intelligent on the ball. He was also good at breaking up opposition attacks and could be physical if necessary. I

remember watching the 1994 World Cup when he played centre midfield for Argentina and he was just unbelievable. He had a great tournament and from there I followed his career at Real Madrid. He was their focal point. I remember when Madrid came to Old Trafford - it was a special moment because two of my idols – Redondo and Roy Keane – came up against each other.

Federico Macheda on Marco van Basten, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
I used to watch videos of Marco van Basten playing for Milan and I'd try to copy the things he did in games. He was always my favourite striker when I was really young growing up in Rome. He's what made me want to be a footballer and, especially, a striker. When I got a bit older I used to love watching Ibra [Zlatan Ibrahimovic]. They’re both good players and very strong on the ball. They are the type of forwards that I look up; strong and skilful. They’re two of the best strikers ever in my opinion.