11 of the greatest wingers of all time

#7 Sir Stanley Matthews

Matthews wowed the fans in the 50's and 60's

Pele once called Stanley Matthews, “the man who taught us the way football should be played.” This speaks volumes of the impact that the England international had on the game, and more importantly on the role of the modern day winger.

What Matthews could do with a ball at his feet in a career spanning thirty years is best described by the variety of titles given to him, which includes “The Wizard of Dribble” and “The Magician.”

Matthews was the definition of a conventional winger, his most memorable match being the 1953 FA Cup final. With Blackpool trailing 3-1 in the final, Matthews became the catalyst for a sensational fightback, setting up two goals as they lifted the trophy. Although Stan Mortensen scored the only FA Cup final hat-trick ever, it was the right-winger who was the gamechanger despite being the oldest player on the pitch.

The England international only retired in 1965, aged 50 after making nearly 700 league appearances for Stoke City and Blackpool, twelve years after his FA Cup heroics for the latter.