Best player YOU have played against?

[gripper stebson]

I played in a Cup Final for Newhaven U18's and faced a Whitehawk side starring Darren Freeman. He was VERY good.

Also played against Kim Grant and Simon Rodger at youth level.

Over to you NSC.

 

[Seasidesage]

Justin Fashanu and yes it was at football! Marked him a practice game just after he signed for us. He was mucking around I was trying my heart out, needless to say he was way too good for me and scored twice I think...

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

Played against Jake Robinson a fair bit at VERY youth level. Was amazing at that age.

Also played against El Abd in a few lunch times as secondary school.

worked with and played against a bloke who was released by a championship club at around 23. He is basically what people on here would slag off as "useless" if he was at Brighton. You know? That generic failed footballer who you slag off. Anyway, playing with him just casually and watching him PING passes left right and centre just summed up how good even failed footballers are to me and has really stopped me just slagging off people when they don't quite make it. Harsh world, football.

Also, wierdly when on holiday I played in a minature world cup thingy on a campsiute. Our english team was one short so a dutch kid called Siem who we knew played for us. He was phenomenal and he said he hoped to be a footballer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siem_de_Jong

 

[atfc village]

As a Kid played against Johnathan Gould who went onto play for Celtic,also Sunday football against Gary Peters ex Reading.

 

[Fourteenth Eye]

Gareth Southgate when i was in the cubs

 

[pishhead]

Gareth Barry. And yes he was very very good.

 

[The Original]

Simon Funnell and Kim Grant at school. Brian Horton in his back garden.

 

[Willy Dangle]

Gazza without a doubt.

 

[Weretheweststand]

Solly March, went to a soccer camp with him, you could see he was going to be good.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Jack Dineen. Talented young man. Never quite sure how he never progressed at the club.

 

[MikeySmall]

Adam Virgo. Played as a striker as a kid and was much better than everyone else.

 

[greyseagull]

Played against the likes of Scott Parker, Titus Bramble, Joe Cole and lord knows how many others who were playing for the, what was then, a very successful West Ham Youth set-up.

However, I played with and against Gareth Barry on several occasions and he tops the list for me. Was a very special talent even at 15 and 16.

On a side-note I also played (and scored against) former Tottenham midfielder/defender David Howell when he was playing for Havant & Waterlooville. Still oozed quality even then. I also scored against Bramble from a corner which I still have recorded on camcorder.

 

[ditchy]

Played against the likes of Scott Parker, Titus Bramble, Joe Cole and lord knows how many others who were playing for the, what was then, a very successful West Ham Youth set-up.

However, I played with and against Gareth Barry on several occasions and he tops the list for me. Was a very special talent even at 15 and 16.

On a side-note I also played (and scored against) former Tottenham midfielder/defender David Howell when he was playing for Havant & Waterlooville. Still oozed quality even then. I also scored against Bramble from a corner which I still have recorded on camcorder.

George Best . played in a game at loftus road plastic pitch for my bank side against one of the brokers. They hired him for that night and even at that age he just drifted past people . This was late 80's . He then proceeded to perform well in the bar afterwards

 

[elninobonito]

Played with and against Adam El Abd at college. Also played with Eddie McGoldrick European cup winner with Arsenal, he was class. Played with my cousins team at the time.

 

[Surf's Up]

"Big Johnny" Crossley - Bromley League Division 7, reckon the lager, the drugs, the discos and the birds done for him though - could've at least made it in a mid-table Div 3 team.

 

[papajaff]

Vinnie Jones.

Can't beat Ditchy's though. George Best, my ultimate hero. You lucky boy. What a great memory. Very jealous.

 

[Puppet Master]

Paul Ifill

 

[Doc Lynam]

Adam Virgo. Played as a striker as a kid and was much better than everyone else.

Used to play in a team with his older brother as kids, he had an interesting ego. He was the first if memory serves, to be offered a sports scholarship at a certain private school outside Brighton, i was the second, he took it i didn't, different paths. Adam always came across as a really nice kid. (To be fair his older brother has probably grown up as we all do.)

Once played with a guy on Hove lawns who after i quizzed him claimed to have been in the same youth team as Matt le tissier at Southampton, amazing passes out of nothing. Nice guy.

 

[The_Viper]

Joe Mattock and Richard Stearman at Sunday League level. Both out of this world compared to the rest.

 

[Dave the OAP]

Dennis foreman!

Cricket is Imran khan or sir richard Hadley