Pretty sure Torres was the golden boy in 2008 over Rooney. I think he got the winner in the Euros too so I imagine that’s probably enough to get the votes in.
You know what, I’ve always thought (somewhat controversially) that if it was based on performances and how far you get your team, Henry ought to have won it in 2006 (CL final and WC final)
It’s controversial because it wasn’t his best season for Arsenal. It’s doubly controversial because it’s not the best way to measure how good a player is.
@Mr_Nostalgia suggested Rooney in 2008. I was thinking the same. Fantastic success for club, didn’t qualify for the Euros with England (so that’s null and void), but was he that good? We’d have been up in arms had he won it
i dont remember dates and seasons so much, but i would say that for club and country David Villa was a monster, but weirdly no one seemed to appreciate him as an elite talent he was always overshadowed. The only time he wasn’t was when he was banging them in for Valencia but then he was deemed a big fish in a small pond and was mostly viewed as a great talent but ‘not in a big club so isnt as good as XYZ for a top club’
Quite close between them, at their very peak.
I’m edging towards Villa too, but Torres was a beast, though choice…
At Barca he was pushed away from the goal a bit, played as winger almost, with Messi in that false 9 role, but everything he did was still pure class… Awesome player.
David Villa is a name that is very often forgotten when talking about the great strikers of the last 20 years. Top tier, elite forward. His international record speaks for itself. Him and Eto’o are two of my favourite strikers from the 00’s.