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Sunderland site The Roker Report is going from strength to strength, so we’re delighted that today’s My Favourite XI has been penned by the man behind the moniker, Simon Walsh. It’s a classic XI, featuring plenty of Black Cats and some genuine legends of world football.

Previous Favourite XI: Neil Sherwin
Next Favourite XI: Roger Domeneghetti

Goalkeeper: Jorge Campos (Mexico)

It was USA ’94 when I fell in love with the flamboyant Mexican. Not the greatest goalkeeper, but his ludicrous attire, and penchant for the spectacular save made me love him. Even to the point where playing football in the park, if someone shouted ‘Campos!’ when taking a shot, you had to dive and make the save look as spectacular as possible, no matter how tame the effort.

Right Back: Dariusz Kubicki (Sunderland)

Dariusz was one of my favorite SAFC players of all time. The Pole was a solid, and entirely unspectacular right back, but his consistent performances won my heart. I was on the verge of tears when Kubicki, on the cusp of making a club record for consecutive appearances he was mysteriously dropped in favor of podgy Welsh knacker, Gareth Hall.

Left Back: Julio Arca (Sunderland)

Julio wasn’t always left back at SAFC, but I’ve got to fit him in somewhere, and he did play there a bit. Skilful as anyone, could control the game from the left, and an all round lovely fella. I remember meeting him on my first day at work at SAFC, and swearing to never wash my hand again after he shook it. He eventually left for Middlesbrough, and I washed my hand.

Centre Back: Franco Baresi (Milan)

There aren’t many superlatives left to describe Franco Baresi, so I’m not even going to bother too much. He was the greatest centre back of all time for me, and after experiencing his twilight years on Channel 4 with James Richardson, he (Baresi) inspired me to become the proud owner of a not-entirely-genuine version of a Milan strip. Although it came with your own iron on number 9 for Marco Van Basten, I turned that upside down and wore it with pride.

Centre Back: Gary Bennett (Sunderland)

Terrible pundit on local radio, fantastic footballer. Spectacular one-handed save which lead to a sending off against Spurs in the cup, and once kicked the sh*t out of David Speedie, who I never liked much either. Sunderland haven’t seen a defender as good as Benno in his pomp for a while.

Central Midfield: Kevin Ball (Sunderland)

I’m employing two enforcers in the centre of midfield, to allow the front four to run wild, as you’ll see shortly. Kevin Ball is a Sunderland legend. He couldn’t really tackle, he couldn’t spray the long ball, he couldn’t really score, but nobody in the history of football has ever given more to a club than Bally. Overcoming his many inabilities to give 900%+ every single week in the Red & White made him a true fans’ favorite.

Central Midfield: Roy Keane (Man United)

There’s nothing I don’t like about Roy Keane, even if he didn’t have the best managerial record at SAFC. Some might consider him a bit of a tw*t, but everything he did, he did with reason, rightly or wrongly. Unbelievably talented to boot, his performance against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-final remains to me the best individual performance in my memory.

Left Midfield: Johan Cruyff (Holland)

Ok, so I’m too young to have seen the great man in the flesh, but I’ve seen enough videos, TV shows, visited museums and worn enough 1974 retro Holland shirts to put him not only in this team, but in my Top 3 players of all time. How can anyone who invents a new trick, commonly used and referred to by surname not be included in a team? The man was one of the true geniuses of the game. Also in this team, I’m not limiting to left wing per se; he can do what he wants.

Right Midfield: Diego Maradona (Argentina)

I’m more in love with this man than any heterosexual Englishman should be, but everything about him is simply amazing. The skills, the drugs, the attitude, the goals, the looking like a Mexican drug baron at World Cup 2010; he was the greatest player to have ever lived. Even when Pele was awarded the ‘Greatest Of All Time’ accolade by FIFA, El Diego immediately announced “But I am the peoples champion”… That’s enough to get me semi-erect. Akin to Cryuff in this team, he can do whatever he wants.

Attacking Midfield: Matt Le Tissier (Southampton)

Criminally under-used by England, in this team I’ve got him as centre-midfield, just off the striker, trequartista, whatever you want to call it role. As much as I think he’s a poor pundit these days, with the ball, the man was fantastic. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He gets the nod ahead of Leo Messi, until the diminutive Argie proves he can do it on a wet Wednesday at Oldham, which Le Tiss did. To quote Fantasy Football League, “He played like an angel, alongside Francis Benali”.

Striker: Kevin Phillips (Sunderland)

Yet another overlooked by England and big teams. We nearly didn’t even see the great man at SAFC. Peter Reid headed down to Watford to watch David Connolly, but couldn’t afford him. Determined not to leave empty handed, he snapped up the unheralded Kevin Phillips, or Super Kevin Phillips to use his full name. The first, and no doubt the last time I’ll ever see a European Golden Boot winner in a Sunderland shirt. He can do no wrong. I’d implore SAFC fans, if you’re ever feeling a bit down to watch ‘SuperKev’s Hot 100′ on VHS. It will bring a joyous tear and a huge smile to anyone’s face.

Substitutes:

Jose Luis Chilavert (Paraguay)

Who doesn’t love a goalscoring ‘keeper? A perfectly adequate replacement for Campos should Jorge be blinded by his latest goalkeeping outfit.

John Byrne (Sunderland)

Scored in every round of the 1992 march to the FA Cup Final for Sunderland, and came within a whisker of scoring in the final against Liverpool. Like, really close. I’m still reviewing videos to see if it did go in. Apparently he took home a winner’s medal by accident that day, and still hasn’t given it back. Good on him. He was a winner in my eyes.

Paolo Di Canio (West Ham)

Whilst I don’t agree with his facist views, or that his volley against Wimbledon was that good, I do have some sort of weird fascination for complete mentalists. Paolo is right up there with the best of them, and offered many a moment of genius alongside his unbridled passion for football.

Garrincha (Brazil)

Clearly I’m too young to have seen him, but much like many of my favorites, he was a little off in the head, but very much switched on at the feet, even if those were slightly weird looking too.

Stuart Pearce (England)

In a team dominated by psychos, how can the man nicknamed Psycho be left out? He was pretty decent at defending too, let’s be fair.

Tags: Dariusz Kubicki, Diego Maradona, Franco Baresi, Garrincha, Gary Bennett, Johan Cruyff, John Byrne, Jorge Campos, Jose Luis Chilavert, Julio Arca, Kevin Ball, Kevin Phillips, Matt Le Tissier, Paolo Di Canio, Roy Keane, Stuart Pearce