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Today’s My Favourite XI comes from quite a lot of miles away from TFT Towers, and one of the key men behind Back Page Football - it’s Neil Sherwin. It features quite a few big names, dotted inevitably with the odd Irishman and the goalkeeper who scored one of the most important goals in Carlisle United’s history.

Previous Favourite XI: Michael Park
Next Favourite XI: Simon Walsh

Goalkeeper: Jimmy Glass (Retired)

I’ve never really had a favourite goalkeeper. There have been plenty I’ve liked, for example Angelo Peruzzzi and Nicky Weaver, but no one outstanding. So instead I’ve gone for a cult hero between the posts. Jimmy Glass shot to fame in 1999 when he scored a final day of the season, last minute winner against Plymouth Argyle to prevent Carlisle United from being relegated to the Conference.

Journeyman Glass was only on loan at Brunton Park, and when the club couldn’t afford to sign him permanently he continued his career by moving from club to club. Since retiring he has set up his own taxi company and also wrote the appropriately titled book ‘One Hit Wonder’.

Right Back: Owen Heary (Bohemians)

The model of consistency, Owen Heary was Shelbourne’s club captain as they won three titles in 2003, 2004 and 2006, with arguably the greatest group of players the league has seen in recent decades. Solid in both defence and attack, Heary left Shels after the club was demoted to the First Division for the 2007 season following financial irregularities. Even though he signed for Bohemians he retained his status as a legend of the Real Reds.

Left Back: Kevin Horlock (Needham Market)

Ah, Kevin Horlock; the man once sent off for “walking towards the referee in an aggressive manner while asking a question”. Even though he was primarily a central midfielder, Horlock is more than capable of filling the left back spot in this team. Great for a dead ball, his goal set up Manchester City’s spectacular comeback against Gillingham in the 1999 Division 2 Playoff Final at Wembley. An excellent and underrated footballer.

Centre Back: Paolo Maldini (Retired)

The best defender I’ve ever seen, to put it in simple terms. I’ve never heard anyone say a bad word about Maldini, and he was a model of consistency during a career that spanned three decades. With over 900 games to his name he finally hung up the boots in 2009, despite looking and playing as well as blokes half his age.

Centre Back: Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)

My favourite current City player alongside Nigel De Jong, Vinny K has turned into one of the league’s best centre backs having joined in 2008 just before the money rolled in. Thanks to an addiction to a certain PC game, I was aware of Kompany long before he joined, and we all know that game never, ever gets it wrong.

Midfield: Georgi Kinkladze (Retired)

“And all the runs that Kinky makes are winding.” They certainly were, and Kinkladze was a shining light in a dark spell for City. If it weren’t for Tony Yeboah and his ridiculous volleys, Gio would have walked the 1995/96 Goal of the Season Award for his stunning solo effort against Southampton. Alan Ball was responsible for a lot of the problems during his time at the club but (begrudging) thanks must go to him for bringing in the little Georgian.

Midfield: Xavi Hernandez (Barcelona)

I’ve had an unhealthy obsession with the diminutive midfielder since I first saw him play in 1999. It hasn’t got to the ‘sitting outside his house with a camera and a microphone’ stage but it’s a bit strange all the same. However I think most will agree that it’s hard not to be…ehhh…’hard’…for the man who is arguably the best central midfielder of the last decade.

His range of passing and vision are unrivalled, and he completes more passes than anyone else in both La Liga and the Champions League. Xavi was also the subject of possibly the most ignorant football headline of all time which was run by Daily Mail after the FIFA World Player of the Awards in 2009 – ‘The best players in the World (plus Xavi)‘. Oh how I laughed and shook my head in dismay.

Midfield: Zinedine Zidane (Retired)

That penalty against Italy in the 2006 World Cup Final was better than sex. The sheer confidence and audacity to dink the ball over the world’s best keeper at the time says it all about the man. There are far too many Zizou highlights to rattle off so that one will do. I was lucky enough to see him in person, albeit just at a Real Madrid training session in Chicago. Even amongst such superstars as Ronaldo, Figo, Raul, David Beckham and Roberto Carlos (and Thomas Gravesen), Zidane was still the number one for me. The final moments of his career may be chequered but there’s no disputing that he was the greatest player of his generation.

Attacking Midfield: Tony Sheridan

Tony ‘Shero’ Sheridan is easily my favourite player to have pulled on a Shelbourne jersey. Essentially an attacking midfielder in the Matt Le Tissier mould, he could change a game in an instant. He’s Shels through and through and was the architect of our FAI Cup wins in 1996 and 1997.

In the 1996 cup semi-final he scored one of the greatest goals seen in Irish football against Sligo Rovers. Picking up the ball just outside his own area, he carried it 50 or 60 yards before lobbing the keeper with the most ridiculous chip I’ve ever seen. In the final against St. Patrick’s Athletic he bagged our equaliser with another great lob to take the game to a replay that we won Shels won 2-1, denying Pat’s a league and cup double.

Striker: Dennis Bergkamp

The strike against Argentina at France ’98, coupled with the emotional commentary of Jack van Gelder, still gives me chills every time I watch it. Bergkamp just oozed class and his goals against Newcastle United and Leicester City will live long in the memory. There were doubts about him when he initially joined Arsenal but by the end of his time at the Gunners he had firmly etched his name in their history books.

Striker: Niall Quinn (Retired)

Niall Quinn was my first real football hero. In the days before squad numbers and names on shirts I managed to find a t-shirt printing place that would sort out a ‘Quinn 9′ for me. Six-year-old me wore it with pride and having an Irish man in the City team helped with sewing the blue seeds that have grown ever since. A traditional target man, Quinn had the clichéd great touch for a big man and was also quite comfortable between the posts, saving a Dean Saunders penalty against Derby County. He is one of football’s nice guys and since retiring has done a great job in the boardroom at Sunderland.

Substitutes:

Wesley Hoolahan (Norwich City)

After years of bamboozling League of Ireland full backs, ‘Weso’ finally got his magic plane ticket to head across the water and he has carved out quite a nice career for himself. A spell in Scotland was followed by a good stint at Blackpool and he now tears it up at Carrow Road for Norwich City. Another one who should have more caps for his country, Wes has been the victim of the Premier League aura that has so often seen players from the top flight picked before those more deserving.

Shaun Goater (Retired)

Probably best known for making a mug of Gary Neville in the last Manchester Derby at Maine Road, ‘The Goat’ was the greatest thing about Citys yo-yo spell in the late 1990s/early 2000s that saw six promotions and relegations in seven seasons. Despite really only being a player of lower division quality, Goater struck 13 of his 103 City goals in the Premier League and since retiring has continued to associate himself with the club.

Filippo Inzaghi (AC Milan)

He’s already been mentioned by Gary Andrews, and in my opinion should be included in every squad. Inzaghi might have been “born offside” as Sir Alex Ferguson put it, but Super Pippo is definitely one of the best strikers of the last 15 years. No pace, no skill and no build, but he’s made a career of being in the right place at the right time. How could you not love a man who celebrates a tap in like it’s a halfway line lob over the keeper?

Garry Haylock (Retired)

Another of the Shelbourne contingent, Haylock was a prolific goalscorer at Tolka Park and was the first real striker I saw score regularly in the flesh. He also played under Ronnie Whelan at Panionios when the Greek side reached the quarter finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1999. Imagine the shock when I turned up for my first university football trials in 2003 to find out that he had been appointed the new coach! Playing under Haylock for a year was fantastic and I learnt a lot from him, including how being a d*ckhead will get you dropped.

Kennedy Bakircioglu (Racing Santander)

With Quinn on the pitch there’s no need for a substitute goalkeeper so it means I can include another outfield player, and that man is Kennedy Bakircioglu. Recognise the name? Yep, it’s the lad who was absolutely brilliant in Championship Manager back in the day. A snip at £80k from Hammarby, he turned into a superstar and was affordable whether you were managing Manchester United or Colchester United. In real life he’s now plugging away in the Spain having had spells with FC Twente and Ajax.

Tags: Dennis Bergkamp, Garry Haylock, Giorgi Kinkladze, Jimmy Glass, Kennedy Bakircioglu, Kevin Horlock, Niall Quinn, Owen Heary, Paolo Maldini, Pippo Inzaghi, Tony Sheridan, Vincent Kompany, Wes Hoolahan, Xavi, Zinedine Zidane