5 legends you probably forgot played for certain European clubs

We remember our football heroes for their iconic performances with a club. When we think of a famous player we immediately associate the club he enjoyed the most success with or the club he represented for the longest part of his career.When we think Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry or Xabi Alonso it’s not a herculean task of figuring out the club they most identify with. But it’s fascinating when we figure out a players past and realize he’s played for a club you would never expect him to represent. Here is a list of five great players whom you probably forgot had a stint with these clubs.

#1 Ronaldo - PSV Eindhoven

Ronaldo is a renowned goalscorer and is considered as one of the best players in footballing history. He has played for the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and AC Milan. But before he became a footballing icon he was a young talented 17-year-old who started his career in the Netherlands

Ronaldo came to be known in Europe as a prolific goalscorer from his two years at PSV Eindhoven. On the advice of Romario who was a former player there, he moved to the club in 1994 after the World Cup, where he was an unused substitute.

He was only a teenager but his talent was there for all to see. In his first season at the club, he plundered in 30 goals and finished as top scorer in the Eredivisie. He helped PSV win the Dutch cup that year and had caught the eye of many big teams.

His second season was marred by a knee injury but his record was still impressive while playing with him scoring 12 times in 13 appearances. It wasn‘t long before Barcelona came calling and snapped him up that summer.

Ronaldo ahs gone on to achieve great things by winning the World Cup, being named FIFA World player of the year three times and the Ballon d’Or twice.

#2 Robert Pires - Aston Villa

Robert Pires was an instant hit when he arrived at Arsenal. He went to achieve great success with the club, winning two Premier league titles and three FA Cups with the gunners. He was also part of the infamous Invincibles team that won the 2003-2004 season without losing a single game.

Pires moved to Villareal in 2006 after finishing runners-up in Champions League. He spent four years making over 100 appearances for the club before being told he won’t be given a contract extension.

He signed for Aston Villa on a six-month contract in November after spending the first few months of the season training at Arsenal.

His spell went unnoticed despite playing 16 times for the Villans. In that time, he scored only once but put in a few good performances for his team. He was eager to extend his contract with he club with manager Gerard Houllier also wanting him to stay but in the end, nothing materialized.

#3 Roberto Carlos - Inter Milan

Roberto Carlos is considered as one of the greatest left backs to have ever played the game. He was a consistent performer for Real Madrid and was one of the first names on the team sheet. His infamous outside-the-foot free kick is one of the wonders of the footballing world and is among the greatest goals ever scored.

During his time with Los’ Blancos he made 512 appearances and scored 67 times as a defender. He won four La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues during his time at the club a career that spanned more than a decade.

But before making a name for himself in Spain, he was part of the Inter Milan side in 1995. It was his first stint in European football., one that remains largely forgotten. He only played a single season for the Nerazzurri making a total of 34 appearances.

He was surprisingly played as a winger during his time in Italy. Roy Hodson was the coach at the time as the move didn't work out as well as he had hoped. He later said in an interview with FourFourTwo that his desire was to play left back but he was denied the opportunity by the manager.

So that summer he joined Madrid and the rest as they say, is history.

#4 Marco Materrazi - Everton

Yes, you heard that right! Big Marco was in Merseyside for a year. Materazzi is a legend at Inter Milan. His towering presence in defense was a hurdle many a striker have failed to pass. The Italian spent 10 largely successful years with the Nerazzurri making 301 appearances.

Materazzi was one of those old fashioned centre backs. Good in the air, aggressive and a nuisance for any player who came up against him. He helped Inter win the Scudetto five consecutive years in a row. He even has a UEFA Champions League to his name, with one of their famous wins coming against Barcelona in the semis of the competition.

But the Italian international made a brave move to Everton as a youngster in 1998. His inexperience was very visible at times during his stint with the Merseyside club. He made only 27 appearances and was sent off three times in the league. He contriuted two goals in his one-year spell socring once in a league cup match.

But there were several times when he did show his strong tackling ability that he has come to be known for. In the end, Materazzi never completely settled in Liverpool and was eventually sold back to Perugia in Italy, the club from where he was bought.

#5 Thiago Motta - Atletico Madrid

Thiago Motta is a household name in the modern footballing world. He started out with the Catalans in their B team as a 17 year in1999 and was promoted to the first team in 2001. He played for Barcelona for a period of six years but most of the time he found himself int he treatment room.

His most successful spell for the club came in the 2002-03 season where he made 21 appearances. Although he found regular game time hard to come that didn’t stop him from winning silverware includes a UEFA Champions League a two La Liga titles

Of course he is currently having a successful; period in France with PSG, and also did reasonably well in Italy with inter but there was a period of time when he played with in ATletico Madrid

Barcelona sold their wounded midfielder to their Spanish rivals in 2007. Motta hoped he would finally be able to have regular game time but unfortunately, his injury nightmare continued. There was a small period of time when he started playing regularly again after Atletico found themselves short of options in midfield. But a recurrence of a knee injury meant his season ended abruptly.

He only made a measly 6 appearances in La Liga and only further 2 in cup completions which sums up his regrettable year at the club. Thankfully for Motta people recognize him as the dependable midfielder in PSG rather than his horrendous spell in Spain.