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Surrey’s CEO Paul Sheldon, envisages a future in which The Oval, soon to be regenerated as a 25,000-seater stadium, can be at the forefront of any further drive to globalise the game

Andrew Miller and Andrew McGlashan09-Feb-2010Hampshire’s groundbreaking deal with the Rajasthan Royals, which was announced at Lord’s on Monday, could have changed at a stroke the dynamics and priorities of the remaining 17 first-class counties, as the scramble intensifies to reposition English cricket in the midst of the IPL revolution.As many as six county chief executives are currently believed to be in India, sounding out investment opportunities for the future of their clubs, and one of those, Surrey’s CEO Paul Sheldon, envisages a future in which The Oval, soon to be regenerated as a 25,000-seater stadium, can be at the forefront of any further drive to globalise the game.”I have been having various discussions with various people to investigate possible links that can be made in a country that’s full of opportunities,” Sheldon told Cricinfo. “Business-wise and stadium-wise, and international cricket-wise, we like to think of ourselves as a global leader, and we believe it’s vital that Surrey is at the forefront of such discussions, given that we’ve had many, many, more people through our gates for Twenty20 cricket than any other ground.”Despite enduring three of the leanest on-field years in the county’s long and illustrious history, the sheer value of Surrey’s bricks and mortar – crucially situated in the heart of London – give them the right, in Sheldon’s opinion, to drive a hard bargain, and he confirmed that, as a potential senior partner in any future alignment, the business model adopted by Hampshire is not a direction that they would contemplate following.”We are well situated in London, and we have a very, very strong Indian and Asian following,” he added, highlighting Surrey’s success in marketing previous matches with a subcontinental slant, in particular the 2005 Tsunami relief match featuring Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, and the World Twenty20 warm-up fixture between India and Pakistan last summer, both of which were sell-outs.”Without jeopardising anything in terms of our agreements with the ECB, it is clearly my responsibility to use the ground as much as we can,” said Sheldon, who reiterated his belief in the sanctity of Test cricket, but acknowledged that the days of relying on the England team as the sport’s principal source of income could be drawing rapidly to a close.”We all acknowledge that we need to broaden our revenue streams, particularly if there is a reduction of TV revenue due to the potential delisting of Ashes cricket,” he said. “If that occurs, we may have to take individual initiatives, and here at Surrey, we’re in a very strong position to capitalise on that.”

Business-wise and stadium-wise, and international cricket-wise, we like to think of ourselves as a global leader, and we believe it’s vital that Surrey is at the forefront of such discussionsSurrey chief executive, Paul Sheldon

If Surrey and the Lord’s-based MCC are the two clubs best placed to thrive in the changing landscape, then there are still opportunities to be had for the next tier in the county game. Durham’s chief executive, David Harker, sees clear parallels between themselves and Hampshire – two of the most ambitious counties in the land, with modern green-field venues to attract investors, and uncomplicated business models which, as Hampshire have already shown, allow for a quick decision in the event of a opportunity arising.”Test match grounds are looking for ways of making returns from their investments,” Harker told Cricinfo. “Organisations that are in the business of cricket will look at ways they can sustain their ventures. Whether what has happened at Hampshire is right for other counties, I really don’t know. but it is certainly intriguing and something we are all keeping a close eye on – and perhaps even informally beginning to explore opportunities with other franchises.”Other counties are not so fortunate. Leicestershire had harboured hopes of securing a deal with Rajasthan through their longstanding links with the franchise chairman and former Investors in Cricket partner, Manoj Badale, but they were beaten to the punch despite their strong links with the Midlands Asian community. “We had negotiations with Badele, but we always knew a deal would be unlikely,” Neil Davidson, Leicestershire’s chairman, told Cricinfo. “The key will be when we have Indian players in the first team, when we can boast an iconic, home-grown figure.”Meanwhile, Somerset enjoyed an eye-opening foray into the Champions League in India last October, and in a bid to bludgeon themselves a second bite of the cherry, they have assembled a formidable team of power-hitters including Marcus Trescothick, Craig Kieswetter and Kieron Pollard for this season’s Twenty20 Cup. But in terms of long-term viability, the bucolic charms of Taunton have little to offer any potential franchise tie-up, and on Friday last week, their chief executive, Richard Gould, issued a bleak warning that county cricket could cease to exist beyond 2013.”The one thing we want to make sure of is that if we join anything it isn’t a bandwagon,” Gould told Cricinfo. “The Champions League was a great adventure and something we would love to return to on a regular basis, but our club has been going since 1875 and we’ve got a great deal of equity and tradition in the brand and the name of Somerset. The one thing you can risk by creating a franchise is that you disenfranchise all the supporters you have built up.”With regards to franchise and branding, would we be prepared to wear another team’s colours, and would we be prepared to put another team’s suffix onto the end of Somerset? I think that’s a more difficult point. Hampshire are a well-run club and I’m sure they will have identified that they will need to put a lot of investing into making sure the brand and the franchise does have meaning to existing supporters.”Gould acknowledged that, in the iconic figure of Shane Warne, the Royals franchise possess a priceless figurehead with personal links to three of the five key clubs involved, as well as a global appeal that few cricketers – with the possible exception of Sachin Tendulkar – can ever hope to match. Without the cachet of big-name players or the security of a world-class venue, the future for several counties has rarely looked bleaker.

On a day when he broke the records for the most wins by any Test player and the most victories for an Australian captain, Ponting called the 170-run triumph over Pakistan the best in a long while

Brydon Coverdale at the MCG30-Dec-2009Ricky Ponting knows the winning feeling better than any other player in thehistory of Test cricket. But on a day when he broke the records for the mostwins by any Test player and the mostvictories for any Test captain, Ponting called the 170-run triumphover Pakistan one of the team’s best in a long while, and praised his young attackfor as good a bowling effort as the side had displayed in the last two years.When he came in to the team as a young man in the mid 1990s, Australia werejust embarking on a decade of dominance. The list of men to have played inthe mostTest victories is revealing, as the top eight are all Australians ofthat brilliant era. The win over Pakistan took Ponting to 93, passing ShaneWarne’s mark of 92.It also gave Ponting his 42nd success as a Test captain, surpassing SteveWaugh’s world record. But since the retirements of Warne, GlennMcGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden and various othergolden-era colleagues, things have become much tougher for Ponting. He haslost the Ashes for a second time, succumbed at home to South Africa and seenhis team slip as low as fourth on the ICC Test rankings.If nothing else, the dizzying highs and gut-wrenching lows have given himperspective. And so, after his developing side dominated Pakistan for fivedays at the MCG, with career-defining efforts from Shane Watson and NathanHauritz, Ponting was full of praise for his men. He was especially pleasedwith the performance of his bowlers, who have for three years struggled inthe shadows of Warne and McGrath, and are finally becoming their own men.”The bowling through the game has been as good as it’s been in our team forthe last couple of years,” Ponting said. “The way we bowled in the firstinnings in particular was just outstanding. The way we used the new balland we were able to maintain our discipline and execute our skills over sucha long period of time at the start of their first batting innings was a realfactor in the game.”It’s been a great game for us. It’s one of our best Test wins in quite awhile, starting right from the start of the game from the Katich and Watsonpartnership which really set the platform and set the foundation for a verygood Test match for us.”The highlights were many. Watson scored his first Test century on top of93 in the first innings; Ponting, Simon Katich, Michael Hussey and Hauritzall scored half-centuries; Hauritz collected his maiden five-wicket haul;and Mitchell Johnson continued to regain some of the spark he lost duringthe Ashes.Coming after a tightly-contested series against West Indies, the dominantdisplay was well-timed. There’s also a bigger future to consider: Australiahave only six more Tests before they attempt to regain the Ashes at homenext summer. Until then every win, every positive that can be taken froma match, will be seen as a stepping stone.”We are building a squad of players right at the moment that in a coupleof years time are going to be a very dominant team again,” Ponting said.”At the moment it is my job to keep the group together and keep challengingthem and keep helping the younger guys out and keep winning as many gamesof cricket as we can.”Ponting was keen to celebrate the individual efforts from several of hisnewer team-mates at the MCG, but less effusive about his own record-breakingachievements. He said he was proud of the milestones but was unlikely toreally appreciate them until he stopped playing.”They’re things I’ll probably be most of proud of when I’m done,” he said.”We all play to win games of cricket and be involved in a team that is winninggames of cricket. They’re things I’m very proud of, hopefully there are alot more wins around the corner and if we play the cricket that we’ve playedover these five days then we will definitely win a lot more games.”

Arsenal have been in the hunt for loan deals for the entirety of the January window, and with less than 48 hours remaining it seems that they have set their sights on a deal which ticks all the boxes. 

Recent reports have suggested that Arsenal will attempt to force a deal through for Ivan Perisic before the deadline passes, but Inter Milan’s reluctance to let him leave on loan has forced them to turn their attention towards Yannick Carrasco.

Indeed, according to a report from the Daily Telegraph, Arsenal are in talks with Chinese outfit Dalian Yifang over a deal for Carrasco, and the club are willing to let him leave on a short-term loan deal with an option to buy.

The report also reveals that Carrasco is desperate to leave the club and, intriguingly, Arsenal were offered the Belgium international at the beginning of the month but decided against pursuing a deal until now.

Despite the fact Carrasco has fallen off the radar somewhat since he swapped Atletico Madrid for Dalian Yifang, he would be an excellent addition to the squad.

The 25-year-old wing-wizard possesses the versatility to play on both wings, where he can use his speed, tight ball control and direct style of dribbling to excellent effect. His ambidextrous ability makes him a difficult talent to stop in possession of the ball, forcing defenders to second guess his every step.

The fact his parent club are willing to loan him and Carrasco’s personal desire to leave the club suggest that everything is in place for Arsenal to secure a deal, providing an agreement can be reached concerning his wages.

On paper, Carrasco is exactly the type of natural wide man Arsenal have been in the market for this month, and together with Denis Suarez he could inject a new level of dynamism and creativity to ensure the Gunners sneak into the top-four this season.

With 34 Belgium caps, experience playing in two of Europe’s top leagues and a set of attributes which appear well-suited to the demands of the Premier League, Emery could strike gold by clinching a deal for Carrasco before the deadline passes.

Arsenal fans – thoughts? Let us know below!

Crystal Palace will no doubt be looking to return to winning ways, after sustaining losses to Chelsea and Leicester City, respectively.

Both losses saw the Eagles deploy two different formations, as they temporarily stepped away from their 4-3-3 system.

When they played Leicester City in their most recent league game, Palace attempted to gain a numerical advantage throughout the centre of the pitch by deploying a 4-2-3-1 system against Brendan Rodgers’ 4-3-3 shape.

And in the FA Cup semi-final, Vieira looked to nullify Chelsea’s attacking threat by the means of a 3-5-2 system.

Across both fixtures, Vieira’s side conceded four goals and scored just one. That is a sure-fire sign for the return of the system that had seen them pick up 11 points from a possible 15, across their last five games.

On the chalkboard

One player who has drastically struggled for minutes this season is the 23-year-old talent, Ebere Eze, someone dubbed “special” by the Coaches Voice.

Eze has made just seven appearances in the Premier League this season, after struggling for fitness as a result of an achilles tendon problem that he sustained at the end of the last Premier League campaign.

Sunday’s FA Cup tie against Chelsea saw him play a full 90 minutes for the first time this season, with Eze now reported to be fully fit by Crystal Palace correspondent, Mark Wyatt, and ready to make his claim as an Eagles regular.

The game against Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side is the perfect opportunity for the England starlet to make his presence known and get back to the form that saw him chip in with ten goal contributions in 34 Premier League appearances for Palace last season.

Vieira can give the £37k-per-week livewire creative freedom up top, with a simple tweak to his usual 4-3-3 formation.

Quite simply, a switch to a 4-3-2-1 system (replacing the two wing positions with two attacking midfielders) would suit Eze’s game down to a tee.

The £18m-rated star played his best football as an attacking midfielder for QPR in a 2019/20 season that saw him bag eight assists.

This slight tweak could help him reach these numbers once again in a move that could, quite simply, terrify Eddie Howe and Newcastle United.

In other news: Vieira eyes CPFC move for “sensational” £14k-pw maestro, it could be bye-bye Gallagher…

Derbyshire’s return to Leek after a gap of 18 years ended in defeat when the fastest century of the season from Ryan ten Doeschate carried Essex to a five-wicket victory

Cricinfo staff03-May-2010
Scorecard
Derbyshire’s return to Leek after a gap of 18 years ended in defeat when the fastest century of the season from Ryan ten Doeschate carried Essex to a five-wicket victory. Although the Falcons rattled up 299 for seven – their highest total in a 40 over match – ten Doeschate tore the game from their grasp after the Eagles had slipped to 64 for 4, chasing a revised target of 247 from 30 overs.The Netherlands allrounder blasted seven sixes and five fours in a 59-ballhundred as Essex swept home with 16 balls to spare. Chesney Hughes had scored his first half century for Derbyshire and Wayne Madsen top scored with 66 in the county’s best 40 overs score for 25 years, but ten Doeschate turned a daunting chase into a stroll. He shared stands of 97 in 11 overs with Jaik Mickleburgh and 87 in just six overs with James Foster to end with an unbeaten 109 from 62 balls.Derbyshire had won their last game at the Staffordshire Moorlands ground in1992 and they made an impressive start after the Eagles had put them in. Hughes launched the innings with some muscular blows, pulling Chris Martin for six on his way to a 34-ball fifty that also included eight fours.It took a direct hit from Tim Phillips at mid on to run out the 19 year old for 55 but Chris Rogers and Madsen maintained the momentum by adding 59 in eight overs. A diving catch by Mickleburgh at deep square leg removed Rogers for 41 but Madsen dominated the bowling as the Falcons passed 200 in the 28th over.Madsen struck two sixes and five fours in his 66 which came off 54 balls before he reverse swept Grant Flower and Graham Napier took a leaping catch at short third man. But the Falcons middle-order all made useful contributions led by 43 from Garry Park as 88 came from the last 10 overs.Robin Peterson and Lee Goddard added 37 in three overs to set the Eagles ademanding target which was revised after rain in the tea interval.Essex started badly, losing Alastair Cook in the second over when he edged a drive at Tim Groenewald and Billy Godleman also went for four in the fifth over when he miscued a drive to mid off.When Mark Pettini skied Tom Lungley to mid on four balls later, Essex were 27 for 3 but ten Doeschate turned the game on its head with a repeat of hishundred at Derby in the final County Championship game of last season when Essex clinched promotion.He peppered the small boundaries and the umpires had to call for a new ballafter one of his sixes sailed out of the ground. The only chance he gave was a fierce return catch to Steffan Jones on 87 and he reached his hundred by lifting the Welsh paceman onto the pavilion roof, his eighth six sealing an impressive win with 16 balls remaining.

Manchester City star Erling Haaland was ripped to shreds on social media after an astonishing miss in a derby clash against Manchester United.

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City were trailing 1-0 moments before intervalHaaland misses golden chance to equaliseFans destroy striker on social mediaWHAT HAPPENED?

City were trailing heading into the interval at Etihad Stadium, with Marcus Rashford having opened the scoring for United with a stunning 25-yard strike. Haaland had a glorious chance to level proceedings, after being teed up less than a yard from goal by a Phil Foden header, but he somehow volleyed over the bar in an astonishing moment that stunned the home crowd into silence.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

An X account named @Hmz290 called Haaland's miss "the worst of all time", while @TheFergusonWay quipped: "Brilliant goal line clearance by Haaland."

Samuel Luckhurst of the , meanwhile, wrote at half-time: "United fans revelling in Haaland's miss with a chorus of 'Haaland, Haaland, how's your dad?' Classic away day performance so far from #mufc."

Haaland also saw his standing among the game's elite players questioned, with @SVCarbaholic writing: "Haaland elite elite goalscorer one of the best in PL history but man I just can’t have someone like him be called the best player in the world. I like all round strikers man. Players who do a bit of everything. R9, Thierry Henry etc, those types."

A similar observation was made by @UTDmist, who said: "Not even saying anything but Haaland being top two for the Balon D'or was pure disrespect for that award. Missing this is CRIMINAL."

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

According to , Rashford's incredible long-range effort to give United the lead had an xG of 0.03, while in stark contrast, Haaland had an xG of 0.89 with his shot from just under the crossbar, which highlights how simple the chance was for City's usually ruthless No.9.

Haaland did, however, end up having the last laugh. After a Phil Foden brace completed a second-half turnaround for City, the Norwegian capitalised on some poor United defending to get his name on the scoresheet in the 91st minute and redeem himself after his shocking miss.

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WHAT'S NEXT?

Haaland is the top scorer in the Premier League for the 2023-24 season so far, with 18 goals to his name from 23 appearances for City. The Norway international's continued presence will be crucial as Pep Guardiola's side seek to repeat their treble success from last term, but rival supporters probably won't let him live down his open goal gaffe against United for some time.

A round-up of the ninth-place play-off quarter-finals of the Under-19 World Cup on August 20

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Aug-2012In one of the most one-sided encounters of the World Cup, Nepal crashed to 79 on their way to an eight-wicket drubbing at the hands of Sri Lanka at Peter Burge Oval. It was a combined bowling effort by Sri Lanka, led by the offspinner Tharindu Kaushal, who took 3 for 13. Only two Nepal batsmen passed double figures, with extras (18) as the second-highest scorer. Subtract the 16 wides and Nepal would have folded up for much less. Sri Lanka raced towards the target thanks to an aggressive opening stand of 71 between Sebastian Perera and Shehan Fernando. Fernando was the Man of the Match for his 48.Ireland qualified for the ninth-place playoff semi-finals after getting past Namibia in another low-scorer in Brisbane. Namibia limped to a painful 128 for 9 in 50 overs and though Ireland chased it down in less than 25 overs, they lost six wickets in the process. Graeme McCarter, the right-arm seamer, took three early wickets to reduce Namibia to 35 for 4 by the 11th over. Namibia struggled to put on partnerships of note, the highest being 29 for the 10th wicket. Jason Davidson and Christopher Coombe were the only two batsmen to pass 20. McCarter finished with 4 for 32, while George Dockrell was the most parsimonious, with figures of 1 for 8 from 10 overs. Ireland’s Ryan Hunter led the chase with a quick 42 off 37 balls, taking his side to 83 for 2 in the 14th over before he was dismissed. Namibia managed to sneak in a few more breakthroughs, but their score of 128 was never going to seriously test Ireland.Namibia and Nepal will face each other tomorrow for the 13th-place playoff semi-final at Peter Burge Oval.

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Celebrating Arsenal's French players and manager

adidas release limited edition Arsenal collection celebrating the historical link between famous French players and a manager who have written their names in the club's history books. Unveiled as this summer marks 20 years since the start of the famous Invincibles season, when the club went an entire league campaign without a defeat.

adidas

The special collection pays homage to the success that French players and manager Arsene Wenger brought in the late '90s and '00s. The range includes various items, including a hoodie, track bottoms, track top, t-shirt and stadium parka.

adidas

All the items feature a special tricolour, adidas three stripes, and gold branding. The stadium parka will be donned by the team when they travel to league games, including when they walk out against Manchester City tonight in the FA Cup 4th round.

From players like Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Sylvain Wiltord, Gael Clichy, Pasqual Cygan and Jeremy Aliadiere – the French connection to the club has been strong, bringing silverware and success to the club.

Jeremy Aliadiere, who played in the Invincibles season and currently works for Arsenal in an ambassador role, said: "During that period in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was great to be part of the team at Arsenal. We had a lot of players from France, or French-speaking countries, and we were made to feel at home straight away by the other members of the squad."

adidas

Aliadiere added, "That togetherness we had back then is something I see in this current team, and so it's great to celebrate the period I played in, at a time when it's a really enjoyable to be a Gooner. I think the range will be loved by supporters across the world, and it's a nice gesture to those particularly in France – many of whom fell in love with the club during that period 20 years or so ago."

adidas x Arsenal French collection price & how to buy

The adidas x Arsenal limited French collection is available to buy now from adidas and the Arsenal club webstore.

Shop: adidas x Arsenal French Pack

Available in XS, S, M, L, XL and 2XL.

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Available from Friday 3 March at 8:30 am (GMT)

Available from Friday 3 March at 8:30 am (GMT)

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Available in XS, S, M, L, XL, 2XL and 3XL.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson has backed Paul Mullin to make plenty of more storylines as focus switches from league to FA Cup action this weekend.

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Parkinson hails Mullin's FA Cup scoring featsBacks striker to keep making historyDragon face Yeovil in second roundGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The frontman has a fine record in the competition, remarkably finishing as last season's top scorer despite Wrexham's elimination at the fourth-round stage. Ahead of the second round, the last stage before clubs from the Premier League and Championship enter the fray, Parkinson paid tribute to Mullin's impact and backed him to keep making headlines.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT PHIL PARKINSON SAID

"It is some record and Paul got great accolades for that last year," said Parkinson ahead of the trip to Yeovil on Sunday. "He was top scorer in the FA Cup which is incredible.

"I said to the lads last year and prior to the Mansfield game, our club has got a great tradition in the FA Cup and we want to uphold that. Paul is building his reputation in the FA Cup and we are looking to add to both of those factors at the weekend."

Offering a wider evaluation of Mullin's time at The Racecourse Ground, Parkinson added: "Paul has been a great signing for the club. His goal return is outstanding. He has produced some magical moments along the way and there are plenty more stories to be written in his time at Wrexham."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Mullin seems to love the FA Cup with eight goals in five games last season. And his club have something of an affinity with the competition too. They were responsible for one of the tournament's most famous giant-killings when they sent Arsenal crashing out in the third round in 1992 and have claimed further Premier League scalps in West Ham and Middlesbrough since that famous day.

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WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

The Reds will have to avoid becoming a cup upset victim themselves when they take on National League South side Yeovil on Sunday. All being well, fans can tune in to the third round draw the same afternoon dreaming of being pitted against one of the Premier League's big guns.

Napoli's all time best XI consists of some all-time greats

Italian giants Napoli have been home to some of the greatest footballers we've ever seen.

Well, if you didn't already know, Diego Maradona once glorified the beautiful city of Naples, and let us assure you that the great Argentine wasn't the only one.

Over the years, some of the most technically gifted footballers have turned out in the famous blue kit of Napoli and today, we attempt at creating the greatest XI in their history!

Getty ImagesGK: Dino Zoff

The only Italian player to have won both a European Championship and a World Cup in his career is Dino Zoff. The legendary shot-stopper joined Napoli from Mantova in 1967 and went on to make 143 Serie A appearances for the club.

Zoff's most impressive career achievements came at Juventus, where he won nine trophies after joining them in 1972.

Three other Napoli goalkeepers deserve recognition too.

First is Ottavio Bugatti. The Italian shot-stopper arrived at Napoli from SPAL in 1953 and made 256 appearances for them until 1961 before joining Inter.

The second goalie is Luciano Castellini. The Italian goalkeeper played 267 games for Torino in all competitions before moving to Napoli in 1978. In Naples, Castellini made 203 appearances for the club in Serie A. He also held the record for going unbeaten for 531 consecutive minutes. This record was later broken by Dino Zoff.

Third would be Pepe Reina. The Spaniard initially joined Napoli on loan from Liverpool in 2013 for a season. Bayern Munich signed him in 2014, but after just one season there, he returned to Naples in 2015, making over a century of appearances for the club until 2018. Reina won the 2013-14 Coppa Italia with Napoli.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesRB: Giuseppe Bruscolotti

One of the best players and the captain of Napoli's maiden Serie A title-winning team in 1987, Giuseppe Bruscolotti takes the right-back spot in this dream team.

The defender arrived in Naples from Sorrento in 1972 and stayed at the club for 16 years, making over 500 appearances for the club across all competitions, with 387 of them coming in Serie A.

He won five trophies in Naples, winning a league title, two Coppa Italia trophies and an Anglo-Italian League Cup.

There's a lot of competition for this spot in Napoli's Dream Team as three other players deserve a mention.

First would be Christian Maggio who joined Napoli from Sampdoria in 2008. He spent a decade in Naples, making over 300 appearances and winning two Coppa Italia titles as well as a Supercoppa Italiana.

Secondly, there's Giovanni Di Lorenzo. The Euro 2020-winning right-back joined Napoli from Empoli in 2019 and has made over 120 appearances for the club. He was part of the team which won the 2019-20 Coppa Italia.

And finally, there's Elseid Hysaj. Like Di Lorenzo, Albanian international Hysaj also arrived from Empoli, but in 2015. He stayed in Naples until 2021, making 223 appearances for the club.

Getty ImagesCB: Alessandro Renica

Adept in playing as a sweeper as well as a full-back on occasions, Alessandro Renica won several trophies during his time at Napoli.

The Italian defender joined Napoli from Sampdoria in 1985 and made 136 appearances for the club. His tactical excellence and leadership lead the Naples-based club to win two Serie A titles, a Uefa Cup, a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana while he was present in defence.

There are a couple of other centre-backs who could feature here, starting with Kalidou Koulibaly. The Senegalese defender joined Napoli in 2014 and spent eight years at the club before joining Chelsea in 2022. In Naples, he played over 300 games, winning the Supercoppa Italiana in 2014 and the Coppa Italia in 2019-20.

The next centre-back worthy of a mention here is Paolo Cannavaro. The Italian defender graduated from Napoli's academy and even made two senior appearances for them in his first spell before joining Parma in 1999. In 2006, he returned to Napoli and went on to make 236 appearances for the club until 2014, including becoming club captain and helping Napoli being promoted to Serie A in 2007.

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Getty ImagesCB: Moreno Ferrario

Napoli's third-highest appearance maker of all time, Moreno Ferrario joined the club from Varese in 1977, played 311 games for them in Serie A and made close to 400 appearances in all competitions until 1988.

At the club, he helped them win a Serie A title and a Coppa Italia in the 1986-87 season. Ferrario joined Roma in 1988.

Two other stars could also feature in our dream team at centre-back.

First being Raul Albiol. The Spaniard joined Napoli from Real Madrid in 2013 and stayed there for six years, making 180 appearances in Serie A. He won a Coppa Italia and a Supercoppa Italiana during his time there.

Secondly, Hugo Campagnaro arrived in Naples from Sampdoria in 2009 and stayed there until 2013, making 143 appearances for the club in all competitions between 2009 and 2013. He won a Coppa Italia in the 2011-12 season with Napoli.