Footballers that you like after they retired

prath92

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in the sense, you never thought they were particularly great or you really hated them when they played but looking back, you realise now how good they were. Can be both united player or player of another club

I never thought Bergkamp was all that great (he was reaching his ending years when I started watching the PL in fairness) but looking at his skills now, it’s outrageous.
 

Lord SInister

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I kinda always underrated Carlos, because after he lost his pace, he was mostly terrible in the back, and not contributing offensively as he used to during his prime.
But after his retirement, I started appreciating him more, because of the way he and Cafu, kinda revolutionized the wing back position.
 

Thunderhead

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From United Beckham and Gary Neville, I always liked Keane and Scholes but couldn't stand most of the other players and still don't.
 

careca07

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Carragher is definitely a good shout, not so much because he was a particularly brilliant defender, but he seems like a decent bloke in general. Apparently when he was playing he used to get the mick taken out of him because he'd arrive for training in tracksuit trousers and old brogues with his boots in a Tesco plastic bag. Excellent.
 

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Henry is very likeable now.
As a player at his peak he was impossible not to appreciate. i still think this goal is severely underrated in an all time context;


Somehow, this didn't even break the top 30 when SKY did their best goals in the premier league special back in the mid 2000s.

Since retiring, he's had such a strange arch in the media. I remember that when he started, he was absolutely horrible to watch on television, and it was like he was trying to fit in to the role too much instead of being himself. Now that he's more comfortable he just comes across so well, and is clearly so passionate for the game. Plus he's evidently a massive Man Utd fan, which helps.
 

harms

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@prath92 @Arbitrium of course he was extraordinary, but I never liked him, for obvious reasons. Always dreaded when we played against him. But now I genuinely like him - and not only his football highlights, but also his off the pitch personality.

Bergkamp is exactly the opposite for me — someone I was always in awe of, despite him playing for Arsenal. I guess being Dutch also mattered — always liked them and never quite liked the French teams.
 
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Kevinb5555

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gotta be Carragher. He is our version of Gary Neville neither exceptionally talented but both bleed their team's colours and always gave you 100% no matter what.
 

VeevaVee

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Carragher and Lampard seem like a decent laugh. Most people will strongly disagree, but I hated Savage when he was playing, but don't mind him now.
 

hellohello

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gotta be Carragher. He is our version of Gary Neville neither exceptionally talented but both bleed their team's colours and always gave you 100% no matter what.
I'd argue that's because both Liverpool and Manchester play in red :smirk::p
 

2mufc0

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Vieira after that interview with Keane.
 

drdoityourself

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Teddy Sheringham as a player. Was too young probably to see how good he was in his link up play. Used to have share a loud moan with my family if he was picked over Solskjaer, Cole or Yorke.
 

squiggle

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If we’re talking about them as people, John Barnes is on South African television quite a lot and seems very likeable.

Not that I ever disliked him but I was a bit of a latecomer to football and missed most of his playing years.
 

Kentonio

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Used to hate Gary Neville, but since he became a pundit I've come to massively respect him and also really like him too.
 

2 man midfield

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Lampard. Speaks a lot of sense and articulately so for a fat cockney.
 

GhastlyHun

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Oliver Kahn was a bit of a madman while an active player (great player and club legend nevertheless), he has become more settled and likeable as a pundit.
 

Vault Dweller

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Definitely Carragher and Henry for me. Both come across really well, like sound blokes all round and very good pundits.

Saying that I know the Irish won't be too fond of him though.
 

OnlyTwoDaSilvas

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Lampard. Speaks a lot of sense and articulately so for a fat cockney.
Came here to say that. Quite like him as a pundit. He seemed like a good guy when he was at City, too. I'd heard people used to see him about town a fair bit and he was always a proper nice guy. I'd heard he used to give away his family tickets to City fans too.

He was probably always a nice lad, but since he played for that Chelsea side with Terry and Drogba and the likes, he was guilty by association. I never really hated him, but certainly had no positive feeling towards him either.


That said, after despising Drogba back when he was a total diver, he became more likable to me in his later years, though I don't quite know why.
 

Wednesday at Stoke

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Bellamy feels a lot less like rat when I see him in a suit doing punditry. I've grown to like Carragher and Henry as well, MNF is great at making its presenters look good.
 

Schneckerl

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kahn and his antics pissed me off so much

now I kinda appreciate his passion in hindsight

one hell of a player to have on your team
 

roonster09

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Henry. Best player for our biggest title rival but since he started as pundit, he looks like a ManUtd fan.
 

2 man midfield

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Came here to say that. Quite like him as a pundit. He seemed like a good guy when he was at City, too. I'd heard people used to see him about town a fair bit and he was always a proper nice guy. I'd heard he used to give away his family tickets to City fans too.

He was probably always a nice lad, but since he played for that Chelsea side with Terry and Drogba and the likes, he was guilty by association. I never really hated him, but certainly had no positive feeling towards him either.


That said, after despising Drogba back when he was a total diver, he became more likable to me in his later years, though I don't quite know why.
Yeah same for me with Drogba. I think once news got out just how much he does for charity he became instantly likeable. Plus his appearances on things like Graham Norton added a human side to a formerly 2D villain, which I also think helps the case of pundits like Carragher and Henry.

Of course, the fact he was no longer banging them in for our main title rival helped.
 

Gatti33

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Henry. Best player for our biggest title rival but since he started as pundit, he looks like a ManUtd fan.
I just think he's close/personal friends with some of the players. Lukaku due to working as a coach for Belgium, pogba due to the French link (in that ibra interview, when pogba leaves he tells him in French "I'll see you at house later" and he seems to have a good relationship with ibra.

Going back to the original question, I'd love to see Pavel Nedved play now. The guy had it all, in his prime he would walk into any team now.