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Today’s MFXI is by Liam Blackburn, who blogs at Same Name Different Games and tweets at…well, Twitter. He is, like many of the fans who’ve authored these pieces, a Manchester United fan, but this team is a curious mix of mercurial heroes from the 90s and present day geniuses. And a Manchester City player.

Previous Favourite XI: William Abbs
Next Favourite XI: Andrew Harding

Goalkeeper: Jose Luis Chilavert (Retired)

The goalkeeping position caused me the most problems. In the 22 years I’ve been on this planet there have been plenty of good goalkeepers but few that have captured the imagination. Manchester United had a cart-wheeling giant Dane but he soured his reputation by celebrating one of Manchester City’s derby wins with an unhealthy amount of joy. So step forward Jose Luis Chilavert. Everybody loves a fiery South American and everybody loves a goalscoring keeper. Next!

Right Back: Lilian Thuram (Retired)

There were few players who could match the pure physical strength of Lilian Thuram. Whilst I appreciate the flair and finesse of those further up the field, my love of American football means I’m also a huge fan of the beasts that can just simply knock people off the ball. This wasn’t to say Thuram was a thug, far from it. But he knew how to defend with minimal fuss. He never saw Row Z as the only option though and there were plenty of times when he’d trust his footwork to get him out of trouble.

Left Back: Patrice Evra (Manchester United)

Mad, mad Paddy Evra. Every story regarding him brings a smile to my face. Fighting ground staff with his tongue out, ridiculing Thuram for trying to be ‘Malcolm X’ and that story where he put chicken in his boot to help an injury. Oh, and then there’s his improbable friendship with South Korean compatriot Park Ji-Sung. As a player, Evra has been consistently brilliant for United both going forward and defending. He can also leap higher than any man should physically be able to.

Centre Back: Jaap Stam (Retired)

His departure from Old Trafford was unexpected and ruthless. It was also unnecessary, something that Alex Ferguson himself later conceded. But for the relatively short time he was in England, Jaap Stam was imperious. He had many of the qualities that make Nemanja Vidic so likeable today. Big, strong and deceptively quick, he was, in my eyes, the best centre back in the world for a short time. But he never really settled in one place and this will perhaps tarnish his reputation.

Centre Back: Dennis Lawrence (Retired)

I went to college in Wrexham so often went to see them at weekends. I saw several good players at the Racecourse who would go on to bigger and better things, such as Ben Foster, Joe Hart, Carlos Edwards and Jonathan Walters. But the most memorable of all was Dennis Lawrence. He is a 6ft 7in Trinidadian centre back with a gold tooth. The majority of the time he resembled Bambi on ice but my god was he tall. I remember how proud I was seeing him in the 2006 World Cup against England. Nowhere near as talented as his teammates here but a worthy selection nevertheless.

Midfield: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)

The reasoning behind the selection of my back four was an appreciation for the weird and the wonderful. But I can only gush over the talent of my midfield trio. Paul Scholes may be technically the best player I’ve ever seen at United. He could ping pinpoint 50 yard balls across the field for the rest of his life if he so desired. His role in the team may have changed over the years but his importance hasn’t diminished. He hasn’t embraced the celebrity culture which has engulfed many of his generation yet he is still as revered by many.

Midfield: Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)

I could wax lyrical about Xavi for hours and wrote a more detailed piece on him for The Equaliser. My favourite current player today and a man who I hope will truly be appreciated as one of the game’s greats. Never before have I seen a man command games in the way he does. He is the integral piece of the jigsaws for both one of the greatest club sides of all time and the current European and World champions. I am a big fan of statistics and his passing stats continue to be unparalleled. There’s also an endearing simplicity in the way he way he plays the game and I hope this is hammered home to every English child with an interest in football.

Midfield: Roy Keane (Retired)

I absolutely idolised Keane growing up. Playing as a fiery central midfielder against people much bigger and technically better than me, I took heart from the fact that Keane continued to perform at a world class level by mastering the basics and wanting it more than anyone else he played against. There’s no excuse for not giving everything you have in every match you play but so few gave as much as Keane. He inspired everyone around him, no more so than that night in Turin in 1999 when he spearheaded a famous United revival. There were moments of madness and some ill-timed comments which eventually ended both his international and Manchester United career. But we forgave Keane because nobody could match his desire to win.

Forward: Gianfranco Zola (Retired)

It’s hard to imagine now given that their team is crammed full of egotistical morons, but as we entered this millennium Chelsea were very likeable. At the forefront of that admiration was Gianfranco Zola. A small Italian forward with bags of talent and more importantly a massive smile to boot. He loved the game and we loved watching him. I loved how he fulfilled a promise and saw out his career in Italy and I love how his shirt number at Chelsea is now retired in his honour.

Forward: Eric Cantona (Retired)

There had to be space for ‘Le Roi’. He ushered in a golden era at Old Trafford but wasn’t around for the glorious pinnacle in 1999. I remember the day when he announced his retirement. I remember the disbelief and constantly asking my dad ‘why?’. But you could never truly understand or second guess Cantona. It wasn’t just the glorious goals and the audacious skills that defined him. He saw football in a different light to others. Had Ferguson not taken a chance on him, Cantona may have faded into obscurity. Thank god Ferguson took that chance.

Forward: Mario Balotelli (Manchester City)

I’ll probably be the only person to include Super Mario in my XI but I can’t think of a current player who provides more entertainment. Some people find it tragic that a supremely talented individual has higher levels of petulance than a five-year-old child. I find it hilarious. In the few months he’s been in England we’ve heard about him accosting Rooney’s alleged prostitute, throwing darts at youth team players, grass allergies and that infamous video of him failing to put a bib on. Plus I’d love to see him and Roy Keane on the same pitch!

Substitutes:

Edwin van der Sar (Manchester United)

The Dutch are notorious for their arguments but can you imagine having a dispute with Edwin van der Sar? A model professional and possibly the most consistent goalkeeper I’ve ever seen. Nothing is flashy but everything is done as though taken straight from a coaching manual. It’s a shame that his talent is now only beginning to be really acknowledged with him about to hang up the gloves.

Paolo Maldini (Retired)

Everybody loves a one club man and nobody epitomises AC Milan more than Paolo Maldini. When I started watching football, Maldini was one of the best in the world. By the time he retired many years later, the drop-off in performance had been minimal at worst. Serie A and Italy was held in high regard as I grew up with James Richardson and Football Italia, and Maldini was one of the most memorable icons of that era.

Pep Guardiola (Retired)

I loved watching Guardiola for the same reason I adore watching Xavi. He was a master of keeping the ball and retaining possession. His managerial legacy may well eclipse his playing career but it’s important to remember his team play in the same style Guardiola did a few years back.

Zinedine Zidane (Retired)

One of my all time favourite players, but I simply couldn’t squeeze out Scholes, Xavi or Keane to include him in the eleven. His control was incredible and he could bring a ball under his spell from ridiculous angles. I own the DVD which monitors his every move for 90 minutes and by watching him you realise how alert and aware he is of everything that goes on.

Asamoah Gyan (Sunderland)

Like Zola, Gyan always plays the game with a smile. He was majestic at the World Cup, has brought more joy to the Premier League and put in one of the finest friendly performances I’ve ever seen at Wembley recently. Plus very few people dance as well as he does, on or off the pitch.

Tags: Asamoah Gyan, Dennis Lawrence, Edwin van der Sar, Eric Cantona, Gianfranco Zola, Jaap Stam, Jose Luis Chilavert, Lilian Thuram, Mario Balotelli, Paolo Maldini, Patrice Evra, Paul Scholes, Pep Guardiola, Roy Keane, Xavi, Zinedine Zidane