There are a lot of footballers who are very influential in the game, but which one is the most?
That’s the question being posed by a new study by the Sport Information Analysis Centre (SAIC) and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia.
The survey, published on Wednesday in the Journal of Sport Economics, examined the influence of players, managers and coaches on a player’s career.SAIC analysed data from a large number of internationals and selected the best 10 players to play for a particular country over a 20-year period.
“We looked at all players who have played in the highest number of caps at the highest level over the last 20 years,” SAIC director of research Professor John Kew said.
“There are two main factors that determine a player being selected to play at a top level.
One is the average number of years a player has been playing at that club, and the other is how long they have been in that position before that.”
It’s interesting to note that the best players are actually more influential than the average players in the club they play in.
“This is because a player can only be influential at a club if he is a regular at it for longer than a few years.
SAIC found that, of the 20 best players, 13 of them have played at least three years at a major European club.
The players who had the highest influence on the careers of their teams are the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Real Madrid Madrid.”
The best footballers were also the most likely to get the chance to play in their first World Cup finals. “
The best players who play at clubs in the European Champions League, La Liga, La Ligas, LaLiga, and Super Cup are also very influential.”
The best footballers were also the most likely to get the chance to play in their first World Cup finals.
This is because they are usually the first choice for top players when a big tournament is being staged.SAIS has conducted the study in the hope that it will help other teams understand how to identify players with an impact on their teams.
“Football has a long history of producing players who are world class and influential in their careers,” SAI director of sport Professor John Kaye said.