So I’ve been thinking… What makes a great player? I mean, a world class player on the lines of Pele and Cruyff.

The term gets thrown around a lot these days but players like Best and Platini don’t come along often and I’m thinking maybe calling a player “the best in the world” puts to much pressure on them. How many players have, for example, had a wonderful season followed by a very poor season, it seems that the pressure of expectation can take a toll.

The European game has seen some wonderful players in recent years, Zidane, Kaka, Bergkamp, Cantona, Zola… the list goes on and on as we are spoiled with the talent to be enjoyed, however, how many of these players are truly “world class”? Perhaps it’s only fair to make judgements like that when a player has hung up his boots.

There is no doubt that the outstanding player in the premier league at the moment is Ronaldo. His goals have made the headlines but his all round play has been outstanding too. I, however, think that to call him world class at this stage is premature and to be honest, wouldn’t do him any favours. Like many players these days he likes to take a dive and can, as Simon Barnes in The Times says, be a “smart-arse”.

We all have our favourites but I for one think we should hold off on putting the pressure on these young players and leave words like world class for the likes of Beckenbauer, Van Basten and Maradona.

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