As one of the most imperious defenders of his generation, Tony Adams is still revered to this day. Though primarily an Arsenal legend, the Romford-born centre-half was also a fantastic player for England. Indeed, he spent a 19-year playing career with the Gunners, winning a haul of trophies including four top-flight titles, three FA Cups titles, and a pair of League Cup titles. On top of that, he played a role in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup win.

He also had the honour of captaining Arsenal to league titles in three different decades, cementing his legend as one of the best of all-time.

What made Tony Adams so special?

From a defensive point of view, Adams was an organiser and a leader. Despite living through a torturous personal life at times, Adams was always on-hand to command the team, to cajole teammates into position, and to know when to push up and drop back. He was a tremendous leader, with a chess-like view of the Arsenal defence.

Coached under George Graham and taken to a new level under Arsene Wenger, it was a defensive zeal mixed with a humble, honest personality that made Adams the most relatable of elite footballers.

What does Tony Adams do now?

Today, Adams has been involved in the coaching side of the game. He has coached at clubs like Portsmouth and Granada, and has also been involved in assisting the Granada ownership in the past. He has a career history of managing at clubs like Gabala in Azerbaijan, too, having shown an open-mindedness to try new things and step outside of his comfort zone.

At 54, Adams is unlikely to match his playing career as a coach but he has gained a reputation as an insightful, thoughtful pundit whether talking about football or about other aspects of life.

Before Dennis Bergkamp arrived in English football, players like him were myths who played abroad. A silky playmaker with vision and the ability to compete and score with both feet, there is a reason why Bergkamp is rated as one of the best of all-time in English and Dutch football.

Across a special career, he represented three giant clubs – Ajax, Internazionale, and Arsenal. Playing with Arsenal for 11 years, he made well over 350 appearances for the club and was a key member of the transformative Arsene Wenger era at Highbury.

What made Dennis Bergkamp so special?

Signed by Bruce Rioch, Bergkamp immediately upped the level of professionalism within the Arsenal dressing room. He changed the tone of the tempo, and made it far more likely that players would stick to their dietary needs to stay in the best shape possible.

Without doubt, though, it was his technical vision and big game performances that elevated Bergkamp to the finest names in Arsenal history. His technical ability is impossible to deny, but it was his ability to play in any forward position and still deliver elite performances against any opposition that made Bergkamp so special.

What does Dennis Bergkamp do now?

Bergkamp previously served as a key part of the Ajax coaching staff, acting as an assistant until 2011. However, he was demoted to a more training ground role before being unceremoniously sacked in 2017. Now, he tends to spend his time talking about the game and involved in punditry, though there are strong links with Bergkamp returning to Arsenal in some capacity in the near future.

For now, though, the Dutchman spends his time simply enjoying his career success. A respected pundit with a clear tactical eye, Bergkamp is fondly remembered by all Dutch football fans, as well as those in England and in Italy.

As one of the most revered Welsh footballers of all-time, Gary Speed was a legend of the game. His hugely impressive Premier League career seen him play with clubs like Leeds United, Newcastle United, Everton, and Bolton Wanderers.

Until his tragic passing in 2010, Speed was seen as a highlight of the Premier League era. A solid midfielder with a good goals record and an imperious fitness regime, he was among the most available players in the Premier League during his era. He was also rated as one of the best players when it came to tactical understanding, versatility in positioning, and an ability to play in various roles and systems.

What made Gary Speed so special?

Speed was noted as one of the most fearsome leaders within the English top-flight, a player with genuine quality on and off the ball who could drive his team on to do better. In well over 650 league appearances, Speed was a regular in midfields all across the league and comfortably became one of the most respected professionals.

As his career continued well into his late 30s, Speed was a crucial performer for clubs like Bolton Wanderers and then Sheffield United. He offered a glimpse of the incredible levels of dedication needed to make it at the top. On top of that, he was a driven winner who was a key part of title successes for Leeds United when he was there for the first eight years of his professional career.

What does Gary Speed do now?

Sadly, Gary Speed died in 2010, in what was noted as a suicide by hanging. The football world mourned the loss of a player who was a wonderful person, an elite competitor, and one of the finest examples of how to carry oneself both on and off the pitch. He will be sadly missed.

While wingers might no longer be quite as in-vogue as they were in the past, Ryan Giggs is still regarded as one of the finest wingers of all-time. The Manchester United academy prospect came through at the club, going on to make well over 700 appearances in the red of United. In that time, he also collected 64 caps for his country, Wales, whilst playing in the 2012 Olympics for Great Britain.

A consummate professional on the field, Giggs was lauded his longevity, going from a pacey wide player to an intelligent playmaker as his career reached the latter stages.

What made Ryan Giggs so special?

Giggs was a crucial player for United; a regular goalscorer who had a habit of appearing on the biggest of stages. He was a capable playmaker, too, rated for his excellent crossing, overlapping runs, and dribbling style. Though never the trickiest winger in the world, Giggs used his turn of pace and movement off the ball to his and his teams advantage, often creating openings that other wingers would not see.

A hard-working and tactically intelligent winger, too, Giggs spent much of his professional career acting as a mentor to younger players. He was also regularly lauded for his outstanding fitness, which played a key role in still being a regular for United right up to playing retirement in 2014.

What does Ryan Giggs do now?

Giggs has enjoyed some coaching roles, both at Manchester United and now with his national side in Wales. However, personal issues have stopped Giggs from taking on the Wales job as intended, with his private issues leading to missing huge sums of time as the manager since he took on the role in 2018. A regular presence on the training field when available, though, Giggs is believed to have a bright future in management.