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ENGLAND'S DREAM TEAM

Player Profiles: Right Midfield

PLAYER:Stanley Matthews

BORN:Hanley, 1915

TEAMS:Stoke City, Blackpool

CAPS:54, 11 goals

The 'wizard of the dribble' redefined wing play. He could take on a full back and his mate, turn them inside out, pick their pockets, take a full set of dental x-rays and still deliver a cross of pinpoint accuracy. And this in shorts big enough for a family of four to go camping in. Unbelievably, he played on in the top flight past his fiftieth birthday. A gentleman on and off the field, he was never booked. Incomparable.

PLAYER:David Beckham

POSITION:Right Midfield

BORN:Leytonstone, 1975

TEAMS:Manchester United, Real Madrid

CAPS:66, 13 goals

The man who single-handedly dragged England kicking (and screaming) to Japan and Korea in 2002. While Beckham is famous for his deadly free kicks, his contribution to the team is far greater than that. He's also very good looking. He has lovely hair and is a really nice person. He loves his wife and is a really good dad. He wears really cool designer gear and isn't afraid of his feminine side. He's a throwback to the future.

PLAYER:Alan Ball

BORN:Farnworth, 1945

TEAMS:Blackpool, Everton, Arsenal,

CAPS:72, 8 goals

A tireless ginger dynamo with a strange, high-pitched voice, at 21 years of age Alan Ball was the youngest member of the World Cup winning team. Many people thought he was putting on that voice. If so, well done for stretching a joke out for nearly 60 years. Apart from his endless enthusiasm in midfield, Ball was a classy passer and an unlikely early champion of the fancy white boot brigade.

PLAYER:Colin Bell

BORN:Hesleden, 1946

TEAMS:Bury, Manchester City

CAPS:48, 9 goals

A complete midfielder, Colin Bell was another whose engine never ran out. He was a legend at Manchester City, whose fans recently voted him their greatest ever player and where he famously contrived to score his debut goal with his backside. His nickname was Nijinsky. This was surely a tribute to his skilful dancing feet and in reference to the legendary Russian dancer, rather than the large-rumped racehorse of the same name.

PLAYER:Francis Lee

BORN:Westhoughton, 1944

TEAMS:Bolton, Manchester City, Derby County

CAPS:27, 10 goals

Franny Lee was an incredible sight on a football pitch. With that shock of blond 70s hair he looked like a porky David Soul. He had the bustling, fearless style of a man with too much meat on his bones to be hurt by defenders. His goals helped bring the Championship to Maine Road, where he remains revered, despite an unhappy stint as chairman that coincided with City's slide down through the divisions.

PLAYER:Steve Coppell

BORN:Liverpool, 1955

TEAMS:Tranmere Rovers, Manchester United

CAPS:42, 7 goals

Steve Coppell took a BSc in Economics at Liverpool University, the sort of behaviour that always raises eyebrows in football. Not the biggest or quickest, he used his smarts to good effect as an intelligent winger. A great team player who provided constant chances for others, he was a consistent performer for Man United before a bad knee injury ended his career prematurely. Bloody shame.

PLAYER:Glenn Hoddle

BORN:Hayes, 1957

TEAMS:Tottenham Hotspur, Monaco

CAPS:53, 8 goals

One of the most gifted players ever to put on an England shirt, many thought he was under-appreciated by his country. His elegant passing and range of skills were a delight to watch, which is just as well if you've ever heard him talk. Never fulfilled his potential for England, but with 53 caps it's unfair to say he didn't get the chance. One more thing to bear in mind: Diamond Nights.

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