Asked by a member of the media whether his
World Cup squad resembled a family saloon or sports car, Roy Hodgson, forever
the diplomat, composed himself before concluding “that’s up for you to decide,
I’m just happy to be driving it.”
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| Hodgson's Squad Announcement |
There was no shortage of car-based puns at
England’s squad announcement. Vauxhall’s “Griffin House” headquarters in Luton
opened its doors to a who’s who of English media to announce which of England’s
most talented countrymen were Brazil bound.
News of Ashley Cole’s omission 24-hours
prior, opened the door for 18-year old Luke Shaw to join the likes of Ross
Barkley, Raheem Sterling and Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain in a new look England
squad.
Shaw’s emergence has coincided with a crop
of young international starlets set to replace the gods of the 90s and with
the World Cup in their sights, many of which could explode onto the scene this
summer.
The immortal names of Zidane, Ronaldo,
Figo, Kluivert, Del Piero and the last dwindling star, Raul, will forever be
etched in the scriptures of the beautiful game but the last decade of the
millennium also gave birth to a new generation of elites.
Brought up on a diet of Galacticos and
Invincibles, the 90s kids were given a feast of footballing brilliance to
love and learn from. Tiki-Taka football introduced a silky, polished and
popular brand of football to the urban streets of Europe, providing a hotbed
for touch and technique to blossom.
Picture the Copa Cobana saturated with the favelas' forgotten children imitating Nike’s Brazil vs Portugal “Ole”
commercial (and that Ronaldinho flip-flap!).
And who could forget the Elvis Presley
“little less conversation” soundtrack to “The Cage” with Eric Cantona himself
overseeing the all-star indoor games?
It was a seismic shift in the attitude of
aspiring footballers, footballers that are now taking the main stage:
Barcelona’s Andres Iniesta has to look no
further than his Spanish understudy, Isco.
The embodiment of sophistication and connoisseur
of culture, Andre Pirlo, now looking over his shoulder at Marco Veratti.
Brazil’s trinity of Rs, Ronaldo, Rivaldo
and Ronaldinho has overseen the graduation of wonder-kid Neymar.
And whilst Paul Gascoigne continues to
battle his many demons, on the field similarities to Ross Barkley are simply
irrefutable.
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| Napoli's Lorenzo Insigne |
Long term Arsenal target Julian Draxler,
Italian firecracker Lorenzo Insigne and Belgium boasting Adan Januzaj will
undoubtedly contribute to a new wave of football.
Spain’s continuing and relentless list of
graduates include Jese, Thiago, Koke, Oliver Torres, Illaramendi, Morata and
Carvajal.
And whilst they may not all make their
respective World Cup squads, the likes of Lukaku (Belgium), El-Shaarawy (Italy),
Bruma (Portugal), Bakkali (Belgium) Atsu (Ghana), Kovacic (Croatia), Qunitero
(Columbia), Rodriguez (Columbia) Varane (France) and Pogba (France) are sure to
make their mark on the world stage in the years to come.
The era of Seedorf, Scholes, Inzaghi and
Schmeichel created a lasting legacy, which is thriving within modern football.
The added emphasis placed upon style, technique and above all, self-expression,
is a direct result of the seeds sown over the past two decades.
We can only coach so much to young footballers.
But the greats of the game, the ones that are remembered, adored and idolised.
They refuse to be moulded into an ideal. Into a template.
These players inspired a generation. This summer, my generation will do the same.
Dale Moon (@dalemoon90)
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