Gabriel Batistuta celebrates his 56th birthday today. ‘Batigol’ scored 56 goals for Argentina in 78 games and played in three World Cups for his country (1994, 1998 and 2002).The Argentine striker started his career at Newell’s Old Boys before moving to River Plate in 1989. A year later, Batistuta joined bitter rivals Boca Junior but was quickly on his way to Italy to sign for Fiorentina.He spent nine years in Florence, where he scored 204 goals in 331 games and then moved to Roma in 2000, where he won the Serie A championship in his first season.After an unsuccessful spell at Inter Milan in 2003, Batistuta moved to Al-Arabi before hanging up his boots in 2004.
Sir Stanley Matthews was born on this day in 1915. One of the all-time greats, Matthews played until he was 50 years old, retiring in 1965 after playing his first game back in 1932!Matthews was nicknamed ‘The Wizard of the Dribble’ and won the inaugural Ballon D’or in 1956. NHe started his career with Stoke City, making his debut in 1932 before moving to Blackpool in 1947.He stayed at Bloomfield Road until 1965, and it was there that Matthews finally won his first FA Cup in 1953. The Final was called ‘The Matthews Final’ as it was the first time he won the Cup, but his team-mate Stan Mortenson fired in a hat-trick that afternoon.Matthews played at the 1950 and 1954 World Cup for England and won a total of 54 caps, scoring 11 times.
All-time record goalscorer for the Slovenian national team Zlatko Zahovic is 54 today. Zahovic scored 35 goals in 80 games for Slovenia.He started his club career in Serbia at Partizan Belgrade before moving to Portugal, Greece and Spain before returning to Portugal in 2001 to sign for Benfica.Zahovic finally returned to his home country in 2008 to play for his final club Limbus-Pekre and retired a year later.
Former Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion and Stoke City midfielder Darren Fletcher is 41 today.Fletcher won the Champions League in 2008 with Manchester United and the Premier League five times. He also won the FA Cup in 2004 four Community Shields and the Club World Cup.Between 2003 and 2017, Fletcher won 80 caps for Scotland, scoring five goals.
Former Charlton Athletic and Newcastle United favourite Rob Lee celebrates his 59th birthday today. The midfielder later played for Derby County, West Ham United and Oldham Athletic before ending his career at Wycombe Wanderers.Lee played 21 times for England, scoring twice. Both of his international goals came in a friendly against Romania in 1994.
Former Ipswich Town midfielder Martijn Reuser is 50 today. Reuser joined the Tractor Boys from Ajax on loan in 2000, scoring in the Play-Off Final victory against Barnsley at Wembley.He before made the move permanent in the summer of 2000 and stayed at Portman Road for another four years, before moving back to his homeland of the Netherlands.
Christian Ziege is 53 today. The German won 72 caps between 1993 and 2004, winning Euro 96 and appearing at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.Ziege started his career at Bayern Munich before signing for AC Milan in 1997. He then signed for Middlesbrough in 1999, where he spent a year before Liverpool bought him for £5.5 million.In his only season at Anfield, Liverpool won the League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Cup and he joined Tottenham Hotspur brought Ziege down to London in the 2001/02 season and they reached the League Cup Final in his first season and Ziege scored in the game but Blackburn beat the North Londoners.He left White Hart Lane to join Borussia Monchengladbach for a season before retiring in 2005.
Kevin Kilbane is 47 today. He played for nine different clubs during his career and spent nine seasons in the Premier League for Sunderland, Everton and Wigan Athletic.Kilbane won 110 caps for the Republic of Ireland, scoring eight goals and played in the 2002 World Cup.
Former Romanian goalkeeper Costel Pantilimon spent eighteen years in professional football. He played in England for Manchester City, Sunderland, Watford and Nottingham Forest.Pantilimon won 27 caps for Romania between 2088 and 2019.
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