There have been many great players over the years, but what exactly makes a great player? This subject has been debated in great detail but there must be some characteristics that all of these great players possessed? What follows are my thoughts on the subject and just what makes a great football player.

Vision – All of the greats have been able to pick a pass out even before the run has been made. It is this football brain which truly makes a great player. Although having excellent vision can often be misunderstood for a poor ball unless you have a team around you who knows your capabilities and who are willing to make runs even in seemingly pointless situations.

Control – Having excellent control is a must as great control buys you the time to make the best use of the ball. All of the greats have killer control and can control the ball in any situation. Be it with their head, hip, shoulder: it doesn’t matter. Having even a split second longer on the ball due to excellent control can make the difference between a goal or a killer pass.

Bottle – Having bottle is probably the most controversial element in my list to being a great player but I thought I would put it in as all of the great players in my list have had no fear what so ever and will make tackles even when damaging themselves is a certainty. It’s this passion that drives them on and makes them successful. Some people will call it stupidity but by having bottle you will gain respect from not only your team mates but from other players who will no doubt be more careful when it comes to fifty/fifty challenges.

Cool Head – Moving on from being passionate and oozing bottle, there is also the flip side of course. Those players who seemingly don’t really care yet turn up with the goods when they are required to time and time again. Those players that don’t chase round the pitch constantly for ninety minutes but can ultimately change the entire game with one brilliantly executed pass or goal.

Playing Fair – Nobody likes to see a cheat but unfortunately it seems that diving is becoming more and more a part of today’s game. Although playing fair doesn’t generally count as making you a great player: it can make a difference in terms of winning decisions when you are actually fouled as you are more likely to get the decision if you are generally known for being a fair player in the first place.

There are lots and lots of traits that make a great player but if you posses a true passion for the game, have excellent control and can read the game so much so that you can pick passes out and execute them clinically even before the runs have been made you are well on your way to becoming the best.