The Best Player You've Ever Had:

Before I get going, I don't think this should be in the good player guide, because it's a discussion about not the best stats players, but the players who have played the best for you.

Newgen or not.

Who is that player who scored all the goals in the lower leagues and helped you push for the Premiership?

Who is the legendary defender that captained your team to successive Champions League titles?

Who is your World Cup winning hero?

Or who was the guy that you managed for all 20 years of his long and illustrious career?

Who is you best ever player?

This thread is dedicated to them.

Before I get going, I don't think this should be in the good player guide, because it's a discussion about not the best stats players, but the players who have played the best for you.

Newgen or not.

Who is that player who scored all the goals in the lower leagues and helped you push for the Premiership?

Who is the legendary defender that captained your team to successive Champions League titles?

Who is your World Cup winning hero?

Or who was the guy that you managed for all 20 years of his long and illustrious career?

Who is you best ever player?

This thread is dedicated to them.

i was redditch in the bsn, got a young striker by the name of stuart nicholson on loan. He scored 56 goals in his first season with me before going back to to west brom. The next season he came back for 6months and scored 21 goals before leaving then returning towards the end of the season and scoring another 9 goals. then the 3rd season he thought he was too good but by the time january rolled round again and he hadnt played for premiership west brom he was happy to return to one of his favoured clubs and favourite personel. scored another 18 goals. never signed permanent though. i will always keep trying to get him, he will have to meet me half way, as i progress up the leagues, championship maybe. league 2 so far got maybe 8 seasons before he's past it.

Nikola Zigic on 06 top scorer in prem for about 10 seasons in a row .

I've just finished a game with Sunderland, got up to 2020 or something like that.

Within it i've managed some great players, Defoe, Buounette, Anderson, Bojinov, a few regens etc.

Amongst all of these, only one survived the intial game up until about 2017 (aged 33 or something?), it was Kieran Richardson.

He made the left wing poisition his own for about 10 years, and even at 33 he was out performing most of my attacking midfielders.

The joke was that he never had great stats, he just constantly scored goals and created chances.

I regen striker called Dave Austin. He had a potential ability of 198 which he reach at the age of 23. He helped my Preston to win the Premierchip 10 years in a row and CL 5 times. Played over 100 caps for England.

Alan Dyer (regen) at Whitley Bay was one of my all time favourites. Signed on a free as a 16 year old when we were in League 2 he broke into the team, built up slowly then burst into life in The Championship with 43 goals one season and fired us into the EPL, scoring 20 goals in 20 games at the start of his first season. Subsequent seasons he developed a habit of banging in almost a goal per game until New Year then hitting a barren spell before scoring more at the end of the season. It was great to see him winning Champions League with us though having started with us in League 2.

Alan Reid (regen) was the pick of a whole host of brilliant young players I had at Ross County back in CM03/04 when I had an entirely Scottish squad with a lot of them through our own youth system. He was an awesome winger with one key difference from others I have had - he was terrific in the air - so not only could he dribble, cross and shoot, he was able to receive balls pinged out wide in the air, head them down and then run onto his own knockdowns before the fullback knew what was happening.

In my FM07 game and current FM08 game Diego has to be my favourite though. Signed on a free transfer for Derby in our 2nd season in the EPL (FM07) he brought the beautiful game to Derby as I radically changed tactics to use him as a playmaker from then on. Now in FM08 he is the maestro of my Werder Bremen team.

Finally, special mention for Jordan Rhodes, supreme targetman at Kilmarnock in FM07 who finally fired us to the title before joining me at Morton later on and being a talsimanic figure there too.

Zidane

FM06 - Brazilian striker called Fernando Genro for my Man. United team. What a player!

An Icelandic guy called Andri Sigthórsson way back in CM3 times I think.

In the current game it's probably been Roberto from Atletico Paranaense for my Hamburg team. I play with 3 AMCs and 2 DMCs and he can play in any of those positions so he's invaluable to my team.

In Fm05/06 I started a game with Portsmouth and signed Ugur Yildirum from Herenveen. I'd never heard of him before, think he was around 21, 22 and his position was listed as AMR, ST. Played up front and scored 20+ league goals a season and managed to hold onto him for 5 seasons as we were consistently in Europe.

A top club(can't remember who now) came in with a big bid so I let him go but what really annoyed me was they only used him as an AMR and he only managed around three goals a season from then on . I hate the AI sometimes

pato for my man united side in 07 was scoring a goal a game at just 17 by the time he was 26 he was top scorer in the history of man united

In FM08, in terms of value (price against performances) it has to be Stancu on 8.0.1 - he came to Leeds, averaged 40 league goals a season and stayed with me up to 2016 (top scorer every year) at which point I bought a new computer and was able to run more leagues and load more players, so started again. Breno was a corker on 801 too.

Best value ever? Probably Eddie Johnson on FM07.

By a country mile it's got to be the genius of Freddi Guarin! Signed him for West Ham for 150k on FM06, and at the age of 19 he instantly became my captain, and despite playing at the bottom of a diamond midfield, he scored 28 goals with 24 assists in the first year to win my team promotion into the Premiership. Then was captain of my team for the next 12 years, won the Premiersip 9 times, CL 4. Got world player of the year twice, and European player of the year 4 years in a row. Legend of the game, not just in performance, but i've never seen stats improve so much ever before and ever since.

On my career game on FM 06, there were two that were great players for me, both with different clubs.

First time was Wigan, a player from Brazil called Aldo Andes Jara, I bought him for £1,100,000, as that was his buy out clause. He had a bit of a shaky first season with us, scoring 6 in 23, but after that, he started to peak and regular scored 15-25 goals a season and often had a similar amount of assists. I had him for four seasons when Arsenal bought him for £17,500,000. I made them pay nearly double his value. He was a AM C/FC, great buy.

Later that game, as Aston Villa, I had a great central midfielder called Allan Skelton. He cost me a bit to buy from Southampton, £8,000,000 infact, but he would be my captain and leader for nearly 6 years. Always bossed the midfield and scored plenty of cracking goals, much a Steven Gerrard type player. Worth every penny and some, when I had finished, he was worth over £15,000,000 and had 3 major honours under his belt (2 premier league titles and an F.A. Cup.) Good days, good days.

Elano into 2013 almost season up, and he's still a first team player and he's 31, and just signed a new 2 year contract hoping to tie him into a coaching role when he retires

Nicky Ford was my first ever regen that I managed to train into a world beater on FM05. After I sold him I retired his number 33 shirt but on recent versions now I always give my most promising player the number 33.

Jose Luis Rodriquez - First season regen on FM07. Snapped him up from Sevilla to Arsenal age 16.

- Broke into the first team age 17.

- First team regular at 19

- World-Class Centre Back at 21

- Arsenal captain at 23

- Spain captain at 25

- Still at Arsenal in 2023/4 (I think) where I last left the save game. About 450 league appearances, and about 50 goals in that time. The cornerstone of my world-beating team for over a decade, and still going strong in his 30s.

FM06- Eddie Johnson

FM07- Fernando Torres, Jorge (Regen Super Centerback), Pato

FM08- Mikel Arteta, Sortitis Ninis, Adrien, James Vaughan

On CM2 I had a Ukrainian striker called Levchenko or something. He and Alan Shearer were awesome up front for my Chesterfield team winning all top flight honors.

On this version it has to be Barzagli. He scored 16 goals in his first season from CB for my Spurs side helping to take them to 3rd in the Prem (thank you skanky corner routine). That idiot Levy sold him to Madrid for £22m but I did only pay £8m for him so it was good business I supose...

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Hershie:

Jose Luis Rodriquez - First season regen on FM07. Snapped him up from Sevilla to Arsenal age 16.

- Broke into the first team age 17.

- First team regular at 19

- World-Class Centre Back at 21

- Arsenal captain at 23

- Spain captain at 25

- Still at Arsenal in 2023/4 (I think) where I last left the save game. About 450 league appearances, and about 50 goals in that time. The cornerstone of my world-beating team for over a decade, and still going strong in his 30s.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Screenshot I've dug up from the FM07 regens thread:

http://img181.imageshack.us/img181/9548/jlr1xt5.png

Matias Fernandez.

He was like a god in the AMC position. Scored a goal every game for my Heerenveen team in Holland and won us the title back to back in 2 consecutive seasons.

I am yet to repeat the honor but I'm working my way up the ranks as I'm in the lower leagues at the moment.

Im surrently on my forth season as National da Maderia manager. In my first season i signed Sergo Mota as a potential prospect for the future. In January of my third season i loaned him out for 6 months to Olyimpiacos. While on loan the 20 year old requested a new contract requesting a wage reduction. Came back and scored cruitial goals from midfield for less that a tenth of some of his team mates wages. Great when your wage budget spirling out of control no matter what succsess your haveing.

In FM 2005: Helder Barbosa, he's actually in FM 2008 playing for Porto I believe, in 05 he ate teams down the left wing

06:No one stood out

2007: (Paul?) Wotton, centre mid who played WAY beyond his stats, he had an average rating of 7.8 in 25 games in the prem, then my game crashed.

2008: So far its Darren Byfield, striker who scores for fun in league two+one.

Thierry Henry, a true legend, once scored 64 goals in 64 games 1 season, started LITERALLY every single game, what a man!

In FM06 I took the reigns at Charlton after they were relegated. I got them back in the premiership and had the fantastic Fernando Llorente up front banging them for years and becoming the clubs all-time topscorer.

However, when he was around 28 I discovered a regen at another club who looked like he was going to be as good. I signed him and he eventually replaced Llorente and even outshone him and became the club topscorer himself. Thankyou Mr Michael McCarthy.

Playing alongside him was Ian Henry. A winger that came up through my youth ranks and went on to become an England regular.

It has to be the legend that was: Lebohang Mokoena on one of the older FMs

Just came across a young brazilian on my man.united save, Bought him first season from Fluminese for £5 miliion and hes already better than ronaldo statistically.

On FM08 a player from Iceland i think called Birkir Bjarnasson (sp?)

Who even with the mediocre stats consistanly performed for my Championship struggles Middlesbrough, and eventually maniging a whopping 30 goals in the league to assure premiership status. He was is a loyal left winger still after 3 seasons in the premiership (i am currently in 2014).

Sorry for double posting, even after two proof reading still missed this

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Gauvner:

On FM08 a player from Iceland i think called Birkir Bjarnasson (sp?)

Who even with the mediocre stats consistanly performed for my Championship struggles Middlesbrough, and eventually maniging a whopping 30 goals in the league to assure premiership status. He <STRIKE>was</STRIKE> is a loyal left winger still after 3 seasons in the premiership (i am currently in 2014). </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Mike7077:

FM06 - Brazilian striker called Fernando Genro for my Man. United team. What a player! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ah yes good old Fernando Genro. But he lead my Arsenal team to glory. Best see if he is on 08, any ideas?

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by earmack:

In FM 2005: Helder Barbosa, he's actually in FM 2008 playing for Porto I believe, in 05 he ate teams down the left wing

06:No one stood out

2007: (Paul?) Wotton, centre mid who played WAY beyond his stats, he had an average rating of 7.8 in 25 games in the prem, then my game crashed.

2008: So far its Darren Byfield, striker who scores for fun in league two+one. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I remember Helder Barbosa. It was around FM 2005 when I signed him too. He was amzing! I got him again in FM07 and he wasnt as good.

Paul Wallace comes an easy first in FM08.

FM06 would be Gareth Black, (Will get screenies later) and no one springs to mind for FM07

CM 03/04-Fredy Williams Thompson

-Freddy Guarin

'Nuff Said

CM03/04: Orri Freyr Oskarsson - The most blatant example of a match engine friendly player ever.

FM2005: Zlatan Ibrahimovic - I've never seen a player dribble so well on any CM/FM game.

FM2006: Newgen called Robert Dawson. Was a left winger who was strong everywhere and always had a ridiculous average rating. Also a goalkeeper called Chris Jones in my New Zealand team who almost won me the World Cup.

FM2007: 2 Fred's called Darren Martin and Frits Jansen. Martin like Ibrahimovic on FM2005 was a master dribbler and always entertaining, while Jansen helped me win the Champions League with Hammerfest, and showed his class and honour by never once demanding a transfer despite his obvious ability.

FM2008: Enzo Perez, a young Argentine right winger I somehow managed to sign for Tiro Federal. Has scored about 14 goals from the right wing and probably almost as many assists in our first season in the top flight. His form has even made me dream of winning the Clausura, but it wasn't to be.

Can't seperate between Aguero and Torres from my final (successful) game on '07.

They had a telepathic understanding and tore every team to shreds for me.

Some partnership.

FM 08

JAY BOTHROYD!

signed him beggining of season 2 for millwall in league 1 only cost me 110K and he gets a hat trick on his debut and hardly dropped that form all season banging in 40+ league goals bout 50 in all.. cant get enough of him.. class of his own evrytime i see the commentater say "he attempts a thunderous drive" i celebrate becuase he WILL score!

FM 06 Kyle Wilson he killed the conferance with his eyes closed loaned for the first 3seasons then signed him on a free!

FM07 - Nacho Marelli - DC from Argentina, unbeatable

FM08 - Febian Brandy = 50+ goals in all comps in L1 and CH.

there are 2 for me, the most skilled was a swiss regen on 07 when i had built a super squad at barcelona, I got him from dortmund as a replacement for a past-it ronaldinho and supliment for messi, the only first-gen squad member who wasn't well into their 30's, even in a team of the best players in the world, he shone, constanly with 8's and 9's (in the old system, now 9's are much rarer but 8's would still be plentiful), also I like to operate a 22-man meritocracy (think of it as rotation with logic) system whenever I can and, he spent far longer in the team than anyone else, so rare did he get the 6 that would have meant a switch.

the most legendary was an albanian on 05 named edmund haxhia at braga (one of my most fondly remembered tenures in FM), who used to play for me at previous club, and in my new job I saw he was available as an 'unprotected' (how I miss that) player so I got him at the end of the jan window and helped fire a team that was in he relegation zone when I took over in the autumn to europe, and he kept it up for a few seasons, including a title near miss. he was ok but unexceptional, except for having maxed out first touch, finishing and dribbling. can't remember specific stats but he was consistently good for goals and vital, especially as the others were either injured (one missed virtually an entire year after 2 long injury layouts, the second just after the 1st ended) or useless. however I forgot to keep an eye on his contract and my ass's contract as well, I returned from close-season holiday to find the ass gone, and as he was renewing contracts, that many important players like haxhia were gone also, I didn't last very long after that, players like that don't come too often at clubs like that (my individual wage budget was never higher than 9k pp pw, most championship clubs allow a lot more) , that makes him even more special.

With Birmignham

Ivan Alonso- over 100 goals for me in 4 seasons (starting) and a final season a sub.

Defoe- 6 seasons as a starter for me. So many goals its incredible

Kelly- 7 seasons for me has lost his starting place but still plays well

Djourio- That defender from the arse who was on loan at birmingham. played for 2 seasons for me. Great player.

Many other great players for me who helped me win my 17 trophies, but those 4 stand out.

Kanu.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Tim Madisun:

Kanu. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I love how FM reflects real life.

Donovan Simmonds with Redditch. 35 goals in half a season! God bless him.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by bandi15:

An Icelandic guy called Andri Sigthórsson way back in CM3 times I think.

In the current game it's probably been Roberto from Atletico Paranaense for my Hamburg team. I play with 3 AMCs and 2 DMCs and he can play in any of those positions so he's invaluable to my team. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Siggi was God!!!!!

On Fm08 Rafael Sobis won me my 1st wc 2014 wid Brazil. Diego Milito is always my 1st buy when i can afford him.

Ashley Barnes at Tiverton. Scored over 350 in 400 games

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Flanno7hi:

On Fm08 Rafael Sobis won me my 1st wc 2014 wid Brazil. Diego Milito is always my 1st buy when i can afford him. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Sobis was my favourite non-regen on FM07 all down to one game.

Arsenal vs Man Utd; Champions League Final

2-0 to Man Utd in the 88th min. Sobis pops up and scores in the 89th and 90+2th minutes to take the game to ET, and then seals his hat-trick, to win the game, in the 112th minute.

in fm 07, bought eduardo ratinho in the first season and he immediately slotted into the first team and became captain after 5 seasons. When he was captain he led chelsea to 5 cl wins in a row, 7 premier league titles, 1 fa cup and 1 leage cup, and also 5 club world cups. Strange thing is he only got capped 42 times for brazil and most of them being a sub....

FM07-Guy Gourcuff-AML-(regen,stayed with me for 18 years.joined for me at west ham,from nice,with a PA of 197)

FM08-Richard Jansen-ST-(regen,same as gourcuff.but on FM08.Same PA to)

On my current save with Crewe there's a few players that have taken me from League 1 to the Champion's League.

http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=creweteamel8.png

A striker called Anthony Laffor with a random PA got a PA of 195 and as captain he broke the club goalscoring record at age 26 or 27 after 4 or 5 seasons there. I signed him for around 100,000 and now he's worth over 20 million pounds.

http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=laffornn3.png

Also Joao Carlos who has been my goalie since season 2 and is now playing for Brazil.

http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=joaocarlosyf3.png

Then there's Jose san Roman at right back who I signed for 3,000 pounds and now has Milan and Barcelona offering 10 million for him.

http://img361.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sanromanrg6.png

2 newgens that have just got into my first team are Stephane Jean, a Swiss right winger and Mikko Ranne, a central defender from Finland.

http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jeanfw3.png

http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rannesb2.png

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by BP_Doosra:

On my current save with Crewe there's a few players that have taken me from League 1 to the Champion's League.

http://img150.imageshack.us/my.php?image=creweteamel8.png

A striker called Anthony Laffor with a random PA got a PA of 195 and as captain he broke the club goalscoring record at age 26 or 27 after 4 or 5 seasons there. I signed him for around 100,000 and now he's worth over 20 million pounds.

http://img509.imageshack.us/my.php?image=laffornn3.png

Also Joao Carlos who has been my goalie since season 2 and is now playing for Brazil.

http://img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=joaocarlosyf3.png

Then there's Jose san Roman at right back who I signed for 3,000 pounds and now has Milan and Barcelona offering 10 million for him.

http://img361.imageshack.us/my.php?image=sanromanrg6.png

2 newgens that have just got into my first team are Stephane Jean, a Swiss right winger and Mikko Ranne, a central defender from Finland.

http://img211.imageshack.us/my.php?image=jeanfw3.png

http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rannesb2.png </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

this is a bit off topic what skin is that i quiet like it. Top screenie?