Andrew Johns.

Another very good shout.

Just to annoy the very obvious red e follower on here... ...

Jamie Carragher.....absolutely average, but his sheer determination to do his utmost for HIS club stands out a mile when put in comparison with the mercenary Spaniards all around him.

Similarly, this description applied to the likes of Cullen, Forster, Gary Sanderson (though not a hometowner)...these type of guys understood the meaning of loyalty and putting in 100% every week, even though it was often a little short of the standard required to reach the pinnacle of their sport.....There are several current and more recent Wire players who could learn a thing or two about that ethic.

He was a top, top player. Nobody in world football could pass a ball like he did, with such accuracy, consistently over 50/60 yards plus. Even folk like Zidane respected Beckham, and what he could do. He was more than just work rate. Robbie Savage is work rate.

Why? Because he has left Liverpool to play for 2 far bigger clubs?

Sorry 3.

I bet Man United weren't the 'highest bidder' when it came to Owen's wage demands.

To keep it in RL, sometimes you get players like Gary Wheeler, who you see playing as a kid and know instantly they're going to get somewhere in the game. I suppose other examples include players like Lee Briers - very naturally gifted, but lacks the ethos to go above and beyond and do the extra work in training and polish his game off.

On the other hand, you have players like those mentioned, specifically Adrian Morely and Jamie Peacock; neither of whom lit up the junoir ranks (in fact, Jamie Peacock would run the wrong way when he was playing for his amateur club - Stanningley? - his old coach gave an interview saying how he just didn't have a scooby doo), but worked hard at training, were willing to learn and got a bit of a break; eventually, something stuck and they developed through hard work and have both captained their country.

To use the football example, someone like David Beckham is a great shout, as he worked so hard at developing himself, perhaps even past his potential; he's been one of the fittest and most tenacious players of his generation, allied by his pinpoint accuracy with the ball. He worked on his ability and pushed the boundaries of what an outside right with little natural acceleration could do within the game.

Other RL examples I would suggest are perhaps Lee Penny, Shaun Edwards and Danny Lima (I thought his half-season waltz in 2005 deserves mentioning.)

vinnie jones.

I have always thought players like Paul Wood and Ben Westwood.

Players who aren't big in stature but match opponents who are physically bigger than them.