Its strange that Waddle is largely forgotten about given that he was arguably the greatest winger that have ever produced, someone who would have to be included in an all-time greatest England XI, alongside his fellow North-Easterners of Gazza, Bryan Robson & Bobby Charlton. https://twitter.com/sid_lambert/status/1340040865541206019

My theory on that is that we treat 1992 as an footballing year Zero & most of his career took place prior to that. He did have a great season for Sheff Wed in 1992/93 & won FWA player of the year but most of his career took place prior to the year Zero of 1992 so doesn't count

Waddle was an authentic footballing genius. Honestly, look back at old videos of him. Im not exaggerating. World-class. Should get more love from English football fans.

He’s a footballer of a different era that you don't tend to see England produce much anymore (Grealish excepted) i.e a street-footballer. All those feints, step-overs, little tricks, his style was basically street-football but taken to a professional level, Gazza was the same.

You can tell that he hadn't been coached to be like that, it was completely natural/spontaneous, classic street footballer. Shankley used to watch games of street-football. I doubt Klopp does bc I don't think kids play football on the street anymore tbh. https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/incoming/gallery/bill-shankly-eldon-grove-1965-7465707

Thats probably bc, as a country, we’re more affluent than we were in the era in which the likes of Gazza & Waddle grew up & kids these days subsequently have more in the way of options in regards to what they can do in their leisure time than simply kicking a ball on a street.

You can still see this type of footballer in the modern day, but they typically come from places that have reached our level of affluence yet, there are very few English players left, if any, who play in that style.

Poverty creates the conditions for the production of great street footballers basically. Im glad the poverty has largely gone but it would nice to still have a few great street footballers knocking about in the English game.

Wayne Rooney was the last great English street-footballer, the last of that tradition.

If you notice, not only are these types of players more skilful but, Waddle excepted, they tend to be more aggressive too, there’s an edge to their game that comes from growing up playing street footy. Rooney was every bit as skilful as Bergkamp was but he was a dirty bugger too.

I love that about them tbh. Wayne Rooney could do everything Dennis Bergkamp could do but he was also aggressive on the pitch in a way that Dennis wasnt & not averse to smashing someone in a tackle. Give me a Rooney over a Bergkamp anyday.

Im not convinced that these are qualities that can be coached. They arise naturally from years of playing football on the streets where you learn to be tough, aggressive, to control the ball in tight spaces & are free to experiment with little tricks, step-overs, feints, etc.

This is how you get a Gazza & this is how you get a Rooney.

This is how good a player Wayne Rooney was, top ever goal-scorer for England, top ever goal-scorer for Man UTD (think of all the great players that have played for Man UTD,) European Cup winner, UEFA Cup winner, won the League x5 & ppl still think he under-achieved.

& in a way they are right, bc Ive never seen a footballer as good as him at age 18. The last great (as opposed to merely good or very good) English street-footballer.

Ian Wright is an English player from the past who I would put in this category as well, displaying that combination of aggressiveness & skill that characterises the great street-footballer.

Wright was aggressive & he would score unusual goals, chips from crazy distances, shots taken from random angles, etc, that you tend to only really see from the kind of player Im talking about, bc they’re accustomed to playing with a certain kind of freedom.

They learn two things from playing on the street: to play with a certain kind of freedom & to experiment with the football, thats the first thing, second thing is: you have to be tough & you have to be aggressive. Those two things together can produce some great footballers.

Thats how you get a Diego Maradona or a Paul Gascoigne. Its the only way you get a Maradona or a Gascoigne tbh.

Its not a coincidence that the greatest footballer who has ever lived was a street-footballer, the quintessential street-footballer in fact, not a coincidence at all. https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUKKBN2853AS?__twitter_impression=true

This. All of this is spot-on.