Joe Jordan

Few forwards looked as openly uncomfortable to play against as Joe Jordan. Tall, strong and fearless in aerial duels, he built his reputation on centre forward combat: holding the ball under pressure, attacking crosses, disturbing centre backs and giving his team a direct outlet when matches became physical. Leeds United gave him his first major platform in a side full of competitive edge, while Manchester United and later Milan added scale to a career that crossed both British and Italian football. With Scotland, he scored at three different World Cups, a rare achievement that underlines his international weight beyond the image of the hard man. Jordan was not a delicate creator or a fluid technician between lines, but his heading, bravery, back to goal play and penalty area aggression made him a serious striker. His game was simple in appearance, not simple to stop.