FourFourTwo Collection

So it happened then. The moment that many thought they would never see finally unfolded on a dramatic December night in Qatar in a fascinating game involving France. That’s right, we’re talking about Harry Kane missing that crucial second penalty. You could be forgiven for thinking we meant another jaw-dropping event that same month – the one that saw a Messi-inspired Argentina draw 3-3 with holders France before defeating them on penalties to hand the little maestro the ultimate prize. But more importantly, has winning the World Cup catapulted the gravity-defying genius to number 1 in our all-time list of greats? Speaking of greats, we’ve been catching up with quite a few recently, including Anfield’s Egyptian king Mo Salah, Azzurri and Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero, and Lioness playmakers and…

Before Christmas in 2019, Birmingham boss Pep Clotet called his senior players into a meeting. After a promising start to their Championship campaign, the West Midlands side were in the middle of a run of just one win in 12 games, crashing to a 3-0 defeat at mid-table Hull. Their play-off aspirations had all but disappeared as Blues slid rapidly down the league table. For a club stuck in the second tier since 2011, the months ahead looked like being another trudge; another potential battle to avoid relegation. Squad morale was beginning to flag. But this season wouldn’t be forgotten as the others were, and Clotet knew it. “I told the players, ‘Just remember one thing’,” the Catalan coach tells FourFourTwo now. “I said, ‘If we stay in the league…

CRACOVIA The Polish club haven’t let anyone wear No.1 since 2005, when their squad visited Pope John Paul II at the Vatican, just three months before his death. God’s emissary – this one, anyway – was a boyhood Cracovia fan and a goalkeeper in his youth, you see. SAO PAULO The Brazilians also retired their No.1 jersey… sort of. Their legendary goalscoring goalkeeper, Rogerio Ceni, actually wore 01, so Sao Paulo just retired that shirt, which no one was going to wear anyway, and handed their new shot-stopper the No.1. NY RED BULLS Bradley Wright-Phillips didn’t become a legend in England, but he did smash a century of goals in MLS, so Red Bulls retired his No.99 shirt. After leaving in his mid-thirties for a couple of years elsewhere, he…

Jude isn’t the only England international in his family – brother Jobe, 17, has also represented his country a dozen times. A rangy, highly technical footballer still growing into his frame, Jobe progressed to England’s under-18s this season, having previously lined up for the under-16s and under-17s. He was on Birmingham’s bench last term, aged 15 – even earlier than Jude – and made his debut five months later, becoming the Blues’ second-youngest ever player, behind his brother. This season, Jobe has been a frequent squad presence in the Championship as a substitute and occasional starter. Could both Bellingham brothers play together for England one day? Don’t bet against it.…

“I hope he’s got his slippers on…” Maybe greatness always starts with an enquiry about slip-ons – because it’s certainly how it all began for Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian was spending his very first morning at Liverpool in the summer of 2017, and he had to be dressed for the occasion. No slippers, no deal – at least if the waiting nurse had anything to do with it, her assertion couched with an authoritative tone that suggested this may not have been the first footballer’s medical she’d ever overseen. Perhaps all who aim for legendary status at Anfield must first don the comfortable footwear and win her seal of approval. Thankfully, she was never going to get any trouble from Salah. Liverpool’s new signing emerged from behind a door giggling…

“Mo Salah is so much more than a ‘striker’ for us. Our game stimulates this development and forces it to be that way, as everyone is responsible for everything. At the same time, he’s become more and more of a playmaker as well. He’s a gifted finisher – his imagination and intuition in those moments is brilliant. The way that he can keep the ball in the toughest situations and find a way to come out and score is what identifies him. Many players have that, but few have it consistently; if you do, you’re part of the world’s best, because it’s all about the mentality to never give less. In the most influential matches, he’s everywhere to be found. For me though, bigger than the achievement of his goals,…