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Introducing a new feature for twofootedtackle.com - My Favourite XI. Essentially, this is a celebration of the players you loved, idolised as a kid and have become your modern-day heroes. This isn’t a greatest ever eleven, as fondly-remembered donkeys are positively encouraged. So those with a soft spot for Nigel Quashie, no matter how inexplicable, can put him in.

There’s just two rules for this. Firstly, they’re your favourite players, not the ones you’d put in a greatest team ever, although there’s bound to be some overlap. And secondly, you have to have been alive to see them play, even if it’s just on TV. Oh, and you’re allowed five subs.

Kicking off this series, TFT’s Gary Andrews lists his all-time favourite squad. Expect plenty of Exeter City and Italy.

Next Favourite XI: Chris Nee

Goalkeeper: Tony Roberts (Dagenham and Redbridge)

Reasons to enjoy a cold Tuesday night in Dagenham are not exactly plentiful but a visit to Victoria Road is always enlivened by Welshman Roberts. The 41-year-old knows how to play and, yes, banter with the crowd in the best spirit to the point that even the opposition fans will occasionally sing his name in affection. He’s also a decent keeper too and the type of player you’d love at your club. Part of the reason I look forward to Dagenham away games every season. I hope he never retires.

Right-back: Scott Hiley (Retired)

I was one of those who was stood in clear sight of one of the greatest moments of my Exeter City-supporting life when Scott Hiley nutmegged Cristiano Ronaldo in the FA Cup replay. Hiley would probably get in for that alone, but he’s a bonafide City legend even without getting the better of C-Ron. Part of the 1990 title-winning side that had me falling in love with Exeter City, plus that hat-trick against Reading, which accounted for about a third of his total career goals.

Left-back: Dean Moxey (Crystal Palace)

A different generation, but no less of an Exeter legend, every fan loves a local boy who becomes the heartbeat of the side and Deano would be welcomed back to St James’ Park in a flash. The 45 yarder against Doncaster to set up the FA Cup tie with Manchester United will live long in the memory, as will the backheel off the line against Hereford and a late equaliser against Shrewsbury. Plus he even turned up to watch Exeter against Nuneaton last season. Respect.

Centre-back: Paolo Maldini (Retired)

Look up the word defender in the dictionary and you’ll probably see Paolo Maldini’s name written there. The defender’s defender is a player who was starting out as I was growing up and was one of the first foreign names I was aware of. He makes the hard aspects of the game look easy, a joy to watch and the rarest of rare things these days, a one club man from the start to the end of his career.

Centre-back: Rob Edwards (Exeter City)

“Rob Edwards, woah. Rob Edwards, woah. He tore apart Torquay, he scored at Wembley.” Paul Tisdale’s best ever signing and still going strong at the age of 38. That’s all you need to know here.

Midfield: Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)

Like Maldini, Giggs is a player I’ve grown up with, and although I’ve never been a huge Premier League fan, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the high level he’s continually played at throughout his career. What’s more, when he played for Wales, he helped make us the difference between a mediocre side and one that, for a period, was punching above its weight. A player I have nothing but admiration for.

Midfield: Ryan Harley (Swansea City)

Harley probably isn’t quite the most talented midfielder I’ve seen at St James’ Park - that would probably be James Coppinger - but in terms of impact and important goals there’s nobody to match him. Yes, he’s a frustrating player at times but he also makes the game look effortless. Notice that whenever he receives the ball, he’s generally in acres of space, while his languid style is more South American than English. Then there’s that goal against Huddersfield that kept us in League One last season.

Midfield: Xavi (Barcelona)

I could watch Xavi play all day long. There’s a metronomic quality to his play that no other player can match, while his pass completion rate is phenomenal. His performance against Manchester United in the Champions League final two years ago was one of the most complete 90 minutes I’ve ever seen a player put it. Ronaldo and Messi may have been battling it out for the accolade of Best Player In The World right now, but if it was up to me, I’d give it to Xavi.

Striker: Salvatore Schillaci (Retired)

‘Toto’ was my first footballing idol. As an impressionable youngster able to fully appreciate a World Cup for the first time, Schillaci was the star of the tournament. Every kid loves a goalscorer and Toto couldn’t stop scoring. I knew nothing of his backstory or even who he played for but you could say my love affair with Italian football was started by Schillaci, and then blossomed thanks to Gazetta Football Italia. True fact: I kept my Schillaci swaps from my World Cup 1990 sticker album and decorated my bedroom wall with them. My mum was not best pleased.

Striker: Christian Roberts (Retired)

One of the most exciting players I ever saw at Exeter City. Roberts, affectionately known as TMC (The Mighty Christian), was often frustratingly inconsistent but every time the pacy frontman received the ball, you sensed he could make something happen. Amazing to think he spent about half his career playing drunk or hungover, which makes you wonder what he could have achieved if he’d stayed sober. A wasted yet fantastic talent.

Striker: Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)

How can you not love a player described as “born offside”? Super Pippo’s goalscoring record speaks for itself, yet he’s achieved this by being the type of player who, at times, you wonder how he’s managed to sustain a career for this length of time. And then he goes and produces a moment of pure magic. Or a tap in. Plus, he celebrates every goal as if it’s his first in his career. I love this man.

Substitutes:

Kevin Miller (Bodmin Town)

Big Kev is a damn fine goalkeeper. Never the smallest man, he could double his size in a one-on-one situation. Part of the 1990 title-winning squad with Scott Hiley, did his best to save Exeter from relegation, had a surprise comeback with Southampton and is still going strong at the age of 41 at Bodmin Town.

Slaven Bilic (Croatia coach)

There are certain teams at international tournaments that you end up falling in love with, and Croatia in 1998 was one such team. This was a supremely gifted side that never gave up and matched more illustrious opponents. Ok, so the play acting to get Blanc sent off wasn’t pretty, but Bilic and Tudor were a fantastic pairing for that year. Plus he plays in a rock band, which is also part of the reason why Gareth Ainsworth was briefly considered for this list.

Owen Hargreaves (Manchester United)

I have a soft spot for the underdog, so when a player who clearly isn’t that bad gets a large amount of unjustified abuse, I want them to prove them wrong. I’ve lost count of the number of arguments I had with people in the early noughties who were convinced Hargreaves was the worst player ever to wear an England shirt, based on little more than casual xenophobia. I’ve still not quite forgiven him for spurning Wales though.

Diego Maradona (Retired)

King Diego only on the bench? In truth, it’s because, as a player, I only really caught the latter half of his career. But even then, as a kid, I was aware that I was watching a very special player indeed. Then there’s virtually single-handedly lifting Napoli to two scudettos Also, I’d make Maradona manager of this team. Not because I think he’s particularly blessed in this area, but you’d never get a dull moment.

Edinson Cavani (Napoli)

A current favourite but makes the bench of the basis that he’s a pure joy to watch. His headed hat-trick against Juventus left me grinning like a loon. His movement is fantastic and El Matador just can’t stop scoring at the moment. If Andy Carroll is worth £35m, Cavani is worth double that. And then some.

So there you have it. Our first favourite XI, a world where Christian Roberts can relegate Diego Maradona to the bench and Rob Edwards partners Paolo Maldini. This has nothing to do with ability, just whichever players bring a huge goofy grin to your face.

Tags: Christian Roberts, Dean Moxey, Diego Maradona, Edinson Cavani, Filippo Inzaghi, Kevin Miller, Owen Hargreaves, Paolo Maldini, Rob Edwards, Ryan Giggs, Ryan Harley, Salvatore Schillaci, Scott Hiley, Slaven Bilic, Tony Roberts, Xavi