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Playing in the UEFA Champions League is a dream come true for a footballer, let alone the pleasure of winning it. Over time, getting to participate in the tournament has only gotten tougher.
It so happens that after intensely fighting for a Champions League spot, teams are knocked out of the group stages into the Europa League. Although frustrating, the Europa League has its own charm.
Top players have won both the UEFA Champions League and Europa League
There is no doubt that winning the UEFA Champions League is a massive task. And even though the Europa League involves lesser-known teams, top clubs have struggled to win it.
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There are sides who have won both the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League. In the process, some great players have had the honor to win both these trophies. On that note, here we rank five of the greatest players to win both the European honors during their careers:
#5 Juan Mata (Chelsea & Manchester United)
Ever since his move to England in 2011, Juan Mata has been a valuable player in the Premier League. His time at Chelsea was a memorable one as he won the FA Cup, UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League with the Blues.
His amazing vision and incisive passing have been a delight to watch. Using his sweet left-foot, Mata has been very creative in attack. He joined Manchester United in 2013 and has been with them ever since. The Spaniard won the UEFA Europa League with the Red Devils as well in the 2016-17 season.
Mata remains the only player on the list to have won the UEFA Europa League twice. Even though Manchester United are struggling right now, the 33-year-old is the only player on the list with a chance of technically winning the UEFA Champions League once again.
#4 John Terry (Chelsea)
The Chelsea legend is arguably one of the best defenders of his generation. John Terry led the Blues gracefully in the early days of the Roman Abramovich era and was a key factor in their success.
His time with the London club resulted in a number of achievements. Notably, he won five Premier League titles, five FA Cup trophies, one UEFA Champions League trophy and one UEFA Europa League title. Terry led by example and was significantly instrumental in achieving these accolades.
Of course, his penalty miss in the 2007-08 Champions League final against Manchester United was a painful one but he came back strongly. Terry's strong defending at the back combined with his leadership skills were the hallmark of his Chelsea career.
#3 Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
The 2004-05 UEFA Champions League final was one of the best finals ever in the history of the tournament. Steven Gerrard was one of the shining stars for Liverpool in that final against AC Milan.
The English midfielder was the catalyst for the Reds' sensational comeback that night in Istanbul. The word legend does not suffice for Gerrard's contribution to Liverpool. Having spent more than 15 years with the English club, the central midfielder was one of the best players in his role.
Not many are aware but Gerrard was part of the Liverpool squad that won the Europa League, back then known as the UEFA Cup, in the 2000-01 season. His superb passing range and amazing ability to score long-range goals and set-pieces made him a phenomenal player.
#2 Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
From one great midfielder to another, it was a blessing to have Frank Lampard in the Premier League. Having come through the ranks at West Ham United, the Englishman spent four seasons with the Hammers before moving to Chelsea in 2001.
Lampard was impressive with the Blues from day one. The English midfielder was a very intelligent player both on and off the ball. His unpredictable run in the box resulted in a lot of goals for Chelsea. The former West Ham graduate had quite the vision and passing skills to execute it.
Above everything it was his goal contributions that made the difference more often than not. Lampard is Chelsea's all-time highest goal scorer. In his 13 seasons with the Blues, he won the UEFA Champions League in 2011-12, followed by a Europa League win the following year.
#1 Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
There are some great English players on the list and Wayne Rooney is arguably the best of them. He is, after all, England's highest goal-scorer to date. He's still the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League at the age of 18.
Rooney started his career with Everton and he was impressive from a very young age. His stellar performance with the Toffees earned him a move to Manchester United in 2004. The English forward has achieved a lot of success with the Red Devils and is still their top goalscorer of all time.
With his aggression, technical skills, goal-scoring abilities and relentless approach on the pitch, Rooney gave his all. He played a major role in helping Manchester United win the UEFA Champions League in the 2007-08 season and the Europa League in the 2016-17 season.
