Arjen Robben is a true great – we should appreciate him more

The World Cup will be poorer for the absence of one of the world’s greatest footballers. Thankfully, Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to qualification. I am talking about Holland’s Arjen Robben, who is one of the most underrated players of his generation. Robben (right) is truly world class, proving himself at the highest level in England, Spain Germany and on the international stage. He has always delivered but doing so in an era where others have shone even more means he has not had the attention he deserves. Without Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, we would discuss Robben more often and with more appreciation. Look at his honours list: two Premier League titles; six in Bundesliga; one in La Liga; one Dutch league; Champions League ntina bout s ayers ht) oving nd, y one e ssi aldo, d wo ne h ague winner. That is before you get to all the domestic cups he has won in the three countries he has played. In all, Robben has won 23 trophies, and of course he was one of Holland’s best players as they reached the World Cup final in 2010 and the semi-finals in 2014. When Robben joined Chelsea in 2004, nobody realised how good he was. He was seen as an excellent player rather than a world-class one, and he suffered a lot with injuries. In the years since, he has elevated his game. All the focus going into the final round of qualifiers was whether Argentina would get to Russia for Messi, or Portugal for Ronaldo. It is a shame for the tournament Holland could not get there for Robben. all trophi o playe 2 in sin hi in wou Mess Ronal t cou Ro