Boudewijn Zenden’s Perfect XI

The Dutch ace is spoilt for choice after a life in football taking him from PSV to Barcelona, before happy stints in England. Luckily, some foes became friends...

PEPE REINA

“A fantastic personality, a real winner and a penalty specialist. I met Pepe as a young lad at Barcelona, and later we played in the 2007 Champions League Final for Liverpool against Milan – but unfortunately we lost.”

MICHAEL REIZIGER

“When I played for PSV against Ajax, I often encountered Michael. He was an annoying opponent – very smart and really quick. So, I was pleased to have him on my side with the Dutch team, Barça and Middlesbrough.”

MARCEL DESAILLY

“Marcel was the leader at Chelsea – he was called ‘ The Rock’ for a reason! He also won everything there was to win for his country, although I remember him saying they were happy they didn’t have to face the Dutch at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. France rated our team even higher than Brazil and Italy at that time.”

JOHN TERRY

“A real Chelsea legend – John always played the game with such passion. On numerous occasions I’d see him lying on the grass, but then instinctively throwing himself head- first in front of a shot, in an ultimate attempt to prevent a goal.”

XAVI

“I always saw him as the natural successor to Pep Guardiola, in the No. 4 position within Barça’s system. He was a good person with a lot of humour, read the game like no other and was calm under pressure. Xavi was the perfect player for switching between defence and attack.”

PHILLIP COCU

“In addition to being a terrific player, Phillip is still a good friend of mine – we were room- mates at PSV and Barça, and a few years ago I went to his wedding. He could operate in defence, midfield or attack; very few guys were as versatile as him at the highest level.”

STEVEN GERRARD

“A great captain. He wasn’t a man of many words, but above all of deeds. If necessary, Stevie would put in a tackle to ignite the fire in a game. Once a year, that tackle was over the edge – but he was our guy for important goals at Liverpool.”

FRANK LAMPARD

“He had tremendous drive. I can’t remember another midfielder who has scored so many goals. As his team- mate, and later as Rafael Benitez’s assistant at Chelsea, I regularly saw Frank carrying a bag of balls after training for some extra shooting practice. Those hours of work really paid off.”

LUIS FIGO

“In the Netherlands, memories of matches against Portugal and Figo aren’t particularly good! But as a team- mate, he was great. He didn’t look that fast, but he was. His crosses were amazing, just like his free- kicks. During our time together at Barça, he invited me to the Algarve where I paid him a visit.”

RONALDO

“I got to know him when he came to PSV as a 17- year- old. He had recently won the 1994 World Cup and was already phenomenal. We both stayed in the same apartment complex, with me in a small apartment and him up in the penthouse! I took him to my birthplace of Maastricht one time, where the best yearly carnival in the Netherlands is celebrated. He wore a clown outfit and a wig, and I painted his face, but people still recognised him. His smile, with that typical gap between his front

teeth, revealed his true identity.”

RIVALDO

“Rivaldo [ left] had a perfect left foot. He often played on the left wing at Barça, so I was left- back most of the time. At one team meeting, he told Louis van Gaal that he no longer wanted to play on the wing, but in the centre instead. For the next game, Rivaldo was on the bench! It didn’t work out between him and Louis after that.”