Andrey Arshavin

Andrey Arshavin had the strange gift of looking casual right before doing something cruel. Small, sharp and wonderfully slippery between the lines, he played as a wide forward, second striker or free attacking midfielder, always searching for pockets where the game could suddenly tilt in his favour. His Zenit years showed the full version: invention, acceleration, combinations, goals and that mischievous confidence that made him feel slightly uncoachable in the best and worst ways. Euro 2008 turned him into a continental star, while his early Arsenal spell, including the four-goal night at Anfield, proved his talent could damage elite defences. He was not consistent enough to sit among the true greats, and his intensity could fade like a phone at 2 percent battery. But at his peak, Arshavin was pure attacking electricity: clever, unpredictable, technically rich and dangerously allergic to ordinary solutions.