They wait for cups or injuries and they perform. But before they know it, the first-choice goalkeeper returns and the back-up finds the bench again
Tag: premier league
When Juan Sebastián Verón moved to Manchester United in 2004, he went as one of the world’s best midfielder. Sadly, the Little Witch’s magic evaded him
When David Cameron – an Aston Villa supporter – stated his team was West Ham, it represented much more than just an innocent gaffe
He received copious abuse from Chelsea fans but Avram Grant nearly pulled off one of football’s greatest achievements during his time at Stamford Bridge
The next time a pundit remarks that Leicester are a club “not going anywhere”, it should be acknowledged that they quite simply have nowhere to go
One of the great Dutch masters, Dennis Bergkamp’s rare genius is wonderfully encapsulated by his dominance of the goal of the month award in August 1997
Arsenal were so good that if the league’s top scorer Henry didn’t get you, one of Pires, Wiltord, Ljungberg, Kanu or Bergkamp inevitably would
A married heterosexual, Graeme Le Saux endured years of abuse from fellow players and fans. But is the tide turning for gay players to finally come out?
Who can forget those iconic, local shirt sponsors, proudly adoring local fans’ kits? They were good days. They’re also consigned to history for good
Once described as the “best talent of his generation”, Gaël Kakuta was predicted by many to achieve greatness for Chelsea and for France
Arriving at Huddersfield with the club languishing towards the foot of the Championship, David Wagner’s brilliant work would redefine the boundaries
In a nation dominated by austerity, fans, more than ever, are reliant upon their football clubs as a means of escape. Not that it means much in Sunderland
He was once football’s most revered manager, a master in man-management, but for six years now, the downfall of José Mourinho has taken shape
A master in the art of psychology, Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were often a goal up before they’d kicked a ball. Today, they need it again
Boasting a core of Seaman, Adams, Vieira, Petit, Bergkamp and Anelka, Arsenal in 1997/98 would cement their status as the rising Premier League force
“Mental toughness is many things and rather difficult to explain. Its qualities are sacrifice and self-denial. Also, most importantly, it is combined with a perfectly disciplined will that refuses to give in.…
This feature is part of Virtuoso For a time in the mid-1990s, Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle United – backed by the millions of miner’s son turned property developer Sir John Hall –…
This feature is part of Virtuoso The Arsenal career of Nicklas Bendtner is a particularly foggy quagmire. Breaking on to the scene with the winner in a north London derby, he appeared…