Stoke Dream Team, (must have seen players play), - Part 4 - Central Midfield
Stoke Dream Team, (must have seen players play), - Part 4 - Central Midfield
So far I have looked at wide midfielders, now it is time to look at central midfield. This is difficult to pick just 2 players, when you have watched over 1000 games for your beloved team, over 34 year period. However I will give it a go, as before I will go through the candidates, before my selection of the two.
The first player that I will look at, was one of my early heroes, this was Alan Hudson he went on to play 39 games 0 goals (2nd spell) between 1984-1985. His statistics are not remarkabe but his impact was. Hudson had been a legend in the 1970s and was an imperious player, amongs a team of fantastic players who nearly went on to win the 1st Division in the 1970s, and had been good enough to be selected. However when he was signed in January 1984, Stoke were struggling to put it mildly, and they looked doomed. Hudson himself had barely played football for 2 years, and was signed as an ageing 33 yearly old from Chelsea for the second time in his career. He masterminded Stoke somehow to safety, he ran the midfield, he oozed class, he was always available for the ball, he never gave the ball away, he controlled the tempo of the match, and on the last game of the season Stoke somehow had managed to pull of the improbable and safety, from the point of signing Stoke had amassed 33 points in 17 games. Sadly for Hudson injuries caught up with him, and he retired 2 years later, but his impact had been massive.
The next player I will look at is Tony (Zico) Kelly who played 36 games scoring 4 goals from 1986-1987. Zico (derived from the brazillian legend footballer), was a larger than life character (he had a fondness for pies, and his diet and fitness was not great.). However he was an ubelievable footballer, who had the ability to dictate games with his imperious passing both short and long, and unbelievable free kicks, on his day the guy was unplayable (during a period between 1986-1987), he was part of a team that were taking on anyone and everyone in the 2nd division. Unfortunately for Zico he went on to fall out with Mick Mills then manager, and left for West Brom.
Carl Beeston was a Stoke born player, who made his debut in the top league aged 17. He was to spend the next season out of the game with glandular fever. However he was to make an impact on the club, he was primarily box to box midfielder, with a good range of passing, both short and long range, hard in the tackle, and also with the ability to score a goal, some quite spectacular in his early days he was selected for England Under 21's. Later on he became pivotal in the 1992-1993 promotion season, and was to become one of the most poplular players at the club. Unfortunately for the Beest, he was to go through and collect injuries, but non the less, he was a good servant for the club amassing 236 games with 13 goals from 1985-1997. Some of his talent can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dWRBa_EpTo.
Ray Wallace amassed 179 games scoring 15 goals 1994-1999. Razor was the least famous of the 3 Wallace brothers, and had an unspectacular career before Joe Jordan signed him in 1994, and made a less than spectacular start to his Stoke City career as a right back and was loaned out of the club. Later in the season the returning Lou Macari @LouMacari10, found a new role for Razor, he was the defensive lynchpin in midfield, he was the workhorse the hardworker for the elegant Nigel Gleghorn in central midfield, Razor would put himself into every challenge, hassling and making a nuisance of himself, he was to chip in with the odd goal, and become a firm fans favourite. Stoke so nearly made the play offs a year or so later, however this was not to be, but for his wholehearted contribution Stokies will not forget razor.
Graham Kavanagh @graham_kavanagh was signed from Middlesborough after a successful loan spell, and during his time he played 202 games scoring 33 goals from 1996-2001. Kavanagh was the heartbeat of Stoke midfield during his time at the club, and in his time at the club, he had the honour of scoring the last goal at the victoria ground, the first goal at the Britannia Stadium, and scoring during the Wembley win in the Auto Windreens shield final. Kavanagh had the eye for a goal including the spectacular, and as his record suggests he had a good goalscoring record. He was a good passer of the ball and a proper playmaker during his time. Kavanagh was to move to Cardiff (at the time big rivals), and went on to being a boo boy for when we played them more to how he left and what he had said in the press but in his time he was quality, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPTP91sN1jQ, was just an example of his time at Stoke.
James O Connor was a product of the youth team, and went on to play 176 games scoring 16 goals, in a 7 year period. Ginge was a hard working midfielder, scoring the odd crucial goal, including a match winning performance in the play off semi final v Cardiff in 2002, in a to be never forgotten clash at Ninian Park. Some of his Stoke highlights can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AFiTlVurRk, O Connor, will never be forgotten for his wholehearted approach, and never say die attitude.
John Eustace played 74 games scoring 5 goals from 2003 - 2008. Super John was signed from Coventry, and was to be a big player during his time, he was influential, with a good range of passing, box to box midfielder, and good tackling, he was to go on to captain the club. His influence was more to be seen when he was not playing (unfortunately he was to sustain a number of injuries). Unfortunately he was to never peak as much as he could, and left the club during the promotion season.
Rory Delap @RoryJDelap played 178 games scoring 8 goals from 2007-2013. Rory's impact for the club was unmeasurable. During his home debut v Sunderland, he sustained a horrendous injury, and during his recovery Stoke actually signed him with a broken leg. Stoke were to be repaid time and time again, during Rory's time at the club. He became a major part of the club, that got promoted, with exceptional defensive duties, good box to box ability, and not to mention his massive thrown in (this became famous during our time in the premier league. During his premier league, years he became the massive part (Arsenal will never forget him), and for a good few months, his prodigious long throw/missile, was to be spoken about on every football tv and radio show about (match of the day, talksport, radio 5, sky), you name it everyone spoke about it, Stoke were to score goals week in week out from it, on top of that his performances were always above average, and he chipped in with some goals. Rory was a massive part of Stoke City, his part can be seen in this excellent you tube montage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaLoCe-DJ7c.
Glenn Whelan, what can we say about this man, signed to get us promoted in 2008, he did this job and more, he came in to the club on transfer deadline day in 2008. He had earlier, had a great game for Sheffield Wednesday at Stoke earlier in the season, and looked to be a good signing. When he first signed he had a reputation of being a good passer of the ball, as well as the scorer of the odd goal. He was to become much more than that, he recently made his 300th appearance for the club, and his name wass one of the first names on the team sheet, even with the raft of expensive signings. Tony Pulis accurately described him as the glue, and his role in front of the back 4 has been unbelievable, he was always relied upon to give his all, and is a brilliant stand in captain.
So I have 2 to choose from, what a choice. I have gone for the mercurial Alan Hudson, alongside the steel of Rory Delap (just edging Glenn Whelan). Such a difficult choice.
Team as it stands
Begovic
Dixon
Higginbotham
Shawcross
Huth
Chamberlain
Etherington
Delap
Hudson
The first player that I will look at, was one of my early heroes, this was Alan Hudson he went on to play 39 games 0 goals (2nd spell) between 1984-1985. His statistics are not remarkabe but his impact was. Hudson had been a legend in the 1970s and was an imperious player, amongs a team of fantastic players who nearly went on to win the 1st Division in the 1970s, and had been good enough to be selected. However when he was signed in January 1984, Stoke were struggling to put it mildly, and they looked doomed. Hudson himself had barely played football for 2 years, and was signed as an ageing 33 yearly old from Chelsea for the second time in his career. He masterminded Stoke somehow to safety, he ran the midfield, he oozed class, he was always available for the ball, he never gave the ball away, he controlled the tempo of the match, and on the last game of the season Stoke somehow had managed to pull of the improbable and safety, from the point of signing Stoke had amassed 33 points in 17 games. Sadly for Hudson injuries caught up with him, and he retired 2 years later, but his impact had been massive.
The next player I will look at is Tony (Zico) Kelly who played 36 games scoring 4 goals from 1986-1987. Zico (derived from the brazillian legend footballer), was a larger than life character (he had a fondness for pies, and his diet and fitness was not great.). However he was an ubelievable footballer, who had the ability to dictate games with his imperious passing both short and long, and unbelievable free kicks, on his day the guy was unplayable (during a period between 1986-1987), he was part of a team that were taking on anyone and everyone in the 2nd division. Unfortunately for Zico he went on to fall out with Mick Mills then manager, and left for West Brom.
Carl Beeston was a Stoke born player, who made his debut in the top league aged 17. He was to spend the next season out of the game with glandular fever. However he was to make an impact on the club, he was primarily box to box midfielder, with a good range of passing, both short and long range, hard in the tackle, and also with the ability to score a goal, some quite spectacular in his early days he was selected for England Under 21's. Later on he became pivotal in the 1992-1993 promotion season, and was to become one of the most poplular players at the club. Unfortunately for the Beest, he was to go through and collect injuries, but non the less, he was a good servant for the club amassing 236 games with 13 goals from 1985-1997. Some of his talent can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0dWRBa_EpTo.
Ray Wallace amassed 179 games scoring 15 goals 1994-1999. Razor was the least famous of the 3 Wallace brothers, and had an unspectacular career before Joe Jordan signed him in 1994, and made a less than spectacular start to his Stoke City career as a right back and was loaned out of the club. Later in the season the returning Lou Macari @LouMacari10, found a new role for Razor, he was the defensive lynchpin in midfield, he was the workhorse the hardworker for the elegant Nigel Gleghorn in central midfield, Razor would put himself into every challenge, hassling and making a nuisance of himself, he was to chip in with the odd goal, and become a firm fans favourite. Stoke so nearly made the play offs a year or so later, however this was not to be, but for his wholehearted contribution Stokies will not forget razor.
Graham Kavanagh @graham_kavanagh was signed from Middlesborough after a successful loan spell, and during his time he played 202 games scoring 33 goals from 1996-2001. Kavanagh was the heartbeat of Stoke midfield during his time at the club, and in his time at the club, he had the honour of scoring the last goal at the victoria ground, the first goal at the Britannia Stadium, and scoring during the Wembley win in the Auto Windreens shield final. Kavanagh had the eye for a goal including the spectacular, and as his record suggests he had a good goalscoring record. He was a good passer of the ball and a proper playmaker during his time. Kavanagh was to move to Cardiff (at the time big rivals), and went on to being a boo boy for when we played them more to how he left and what he had said in the press but in his time he was quality, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPTP91sN1jQ, was just an example of his time at Stoke.
James O Connor was a product of the youth team, and went on to play 176 games scoring 16 goals, in a 7 year period. Ginge was a hard working midfielder, scoring the odd crucial goal, including a match winning performance in the play off semi final v Cardiff in 2002, in a to be never forgotten clash at Ninian Park. Some of his Stoke highlights can be seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AFiTlVurRk, O Connor, will never be forgotten for his wholehearted approach, and never say die attitude.
John Eustace played 74 games scoring 5 goals from 2003 - 2008. Super John was signed from Coventry, and was to be a big player during his time, he was influential, with a good range of passing, box to box midfielder, and good tackling, he was to go on to captain the club. His influence was more to be seen when he was not playing (unfortunately he was to sustain a number of injuries). Unfortunately he was to never peak as much as he could, and left the club during the promotion season.
Rory Delap @RoryJDelap played 178 games scoring 8 goals from 2007-2013. Rory's impact for the club was unmeasurable. During his home debut v Sunderland, he sustained a horrendous injury, and during his recovery Stoke actually signed him with a broken leg. Stoke were to be repaid time and time again, during Rory's time at the club. He became a major part of the club, that got promoted, with exceptional defensive duties, good box to box ability, and not to mention his massive thrown in (this became famous during our time in the premier league. During his premier league, years he became the massive part (Arsenal will never forget him), and for a good few months, his prodigious long throw/missile, was to be spoken about on every football tv and radio show about (match of the day, talksport, radio 5, sky), you name it everyone spoke about it, Stoke were to score goals week in week out from it, on top of that his performances were always above average, and he chipped in with some goals. Rory was a massive part of Stoke City, his part can be seen in this excellent you tube montage https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaLoCe-DJ7c.
Glenn Whelan, what can we say about this man, signed to get us promoted in 2008, he did this job and more, he came in to the club on transfer deadline day in 2008. He had earlier, had a great game for Sheffield Wednesday at Stoke earlier in the season, and looked to be a good signing. When he first signed he had a reputation of being a good passer of the ball, as well as the scorer of the odd goal. He was to become much more than that, he recently made his 300th appearance for the club, and his name wass one of the first names on the team sheet, even with the raft of expensive signings. Tony Pulis accurately described him as the glue, and his role in front of the back 4 has been unbelievable, he was always relied upon to give his all, and is a brilliant stand in captain.
So I have 2 to choose from, what a choice. I have gone for the mercurial Alan Hudson, alongside the steel of Rory Delap (just edging Glenn Whelan). Such a difficult choice.
Team as it stands
Begovic
Dixon
Higginbotham
Shawcross
Huth
Chamberlain
Etherington
Delap
Hudson
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