The YourXI blog

Framed Old Firm combined XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in club shirts: Andy Goram; Danny McGrain, Billy McNeill, Richard Gough, Tommy Gemmell; Jimmy Johnstone, John Greig, Jim Baxter, Brian Laudrup; Henrik Larsson, Ally McCoist. Manager Jock Stein
Old Firm combined all-time XI: Celtic and Rangers in one team
Celtic's first ever match, in May 1888, was against Rangers. Celtic won 5-2. Both clubs have since done nine titles in a row, Celtic twice, and both have won in... Read more...
Framed Rooney's teammates XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Manchester United shirts: Edwin van der Sar; Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić, Patrice Evra; Michael Carrick, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes; Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin van Persie, Ryan Giggs
The best XI of Wayne Rooney's teammates
Rooney played for Everton twice, United, DC United and Derby, but most of the good ones are from one place and one decade. So this is really an argument about... Read more...
Framed Real Madrid all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3: Iker Casillas; Dani Carvajal, Sergio Ramos, Fernando Hierro, Roberto Carlos; Luka Modrić, Alfredo Di Stéfano, Zinedine Zidane; Cristiano Ronaldo, Ferenc Puskás, Paco Gento
Real Madrid all-time XI: Di Stéfano's era against the Ronaldo years
Fifteen European Cups. Five on the bounce from 1956, then four in five years from 2014. Two great sides sixty years apart and eleven shirts. I've tried to be fair... Read more...
Framed Barcelona all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Barcelona shirts: Víctor Valdés; Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Ronald Koeman, Jordi Alba; Xavi, Sergio Busquets, Andrés Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Ronaldinho. Manager Pep Guardiola
Barcelona all-time XI: how much of Guardiola's side gets in?
Pick a Barcelona all-time XI and you hit the same problem every time. Guardiola's team from 2008 to 2012 was so good you could just name it and go home.... Read more...
Framed Premier League XI of the 2010s print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: David de Gea; Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Kevin De Bruyne, N'Golo Kanté, David Silva; Mohamed Salah, Sergio Agüero, Harry Kane
The best Premier League XI of the 2010s
The 2010s gave the Premier League two City sides that got to 100 points or near enough, a Liverpool team that lost one league game in a whole season and... Read more...
Framed Scotland's greatest ever XI print, black frame, 4-2-3-1 in Scotland shirts: Jim Leighton; Danny McGrain, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller, Andy Robertson; Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness; Jimmy Johnstone, Kenny Dalglish, John Robertson; Denis Law
Scotland's greatest ever XI
Jim Leighton or Andy Goram? Ask that in any pub north of Carlisle and you won't get home on time. I've had a go at the whole team anyway, and... Read more...
Framed FA Cup winners 1972 print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Leeds United shirts: David Harvey; Paul Reaney, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter, Paul Madeley; Peter Lorimer, Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Eddie Gray; Allan Clarke, Mick Jones. Manager Don Revie
Gifts for a Leeds fan, from Revie books to a framed XI
Ask a Leeds fan who their Leeds is and you'll get Bremner and Giles, or Wilko and Strachan in '92, or Viduka scoring all four against Liverpool, or Bielsa crouched... Read more...
Framed Rotterdam 1982 print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Aston Villa shirts: Jimmy Rimmer; Kenny Swain, Ken McNaught, Allan Evans, Gary Williams; Des Bremner, Dennis Mortimer, Gordon Cowans, Tony Morley; Gary Shaw, Peter Withe. Manager Tony Barton
Gifts for an Aston Villa fan they won't put in a drawer
A league title in 1981 and the European Cup in Rotterdam a year later. Then a long wait, relegation in 2016, three seasons in the Championship, and on 20 May... Read more...
Framed Wembley 1980 print, white frame, 4-4-2 in West Ham United shirts: Phil Parkes; Ray Stewart, Alvin Martin, Billy Bonds, Frank Lampard; Paul Allen, Alan Devonshire, Trevor Brooking, Geoff Pike; Stuart Pearson, David Cross. Manager John Lyall
What to buy a West Ham fan (who misses Upton Park)
The last game at the Boleyn was on 10 May 2016. West Ham beat Manchester United 3-2. Ask anyone who was there and you'll get the full story, whether you... Read more...
Framed Rotterdam 1985 print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Everton shirts: Neville Southall; Gary Stevens, Derek Mountfield, Kevin Ratcliffe, Pat Van den Hauwe; Trevor Steven, Peter Reid, Paul Bracewell, Kevin Sheedy; Graeme Sharp, Andy Gray
Gifts for an Everton fan: Goodison memories and the new ground
Buying for an Evertonian got more complicated in 2025. The men played their last game at Goodison Park on 18 May and moved to the Hill Dickinson Stadium at Bramley-Moore... Read more...
Framed Thierry Henry's teammates XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: Jens Lehmann; Dani Alves, Sol Campbell, Carles Puyol, Ashley Cole; Xavi, Patrick Vieira, Andrés Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires
The best XI of Thierry Henry's teammates
Henry's had Zidane, Bergkamp and Messi as teammates. Pick eleven from that lot and you're leaving out people who'd walk into anyone else's side. Read more...
Framed Merseyside derby XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in club shirts: Neville Southall; Phil Neal, Alan Hansen, Virgil van Dijk, Leighton Baines; Steven Gerrard, Graeme Souness, Kenny Dalglish, Alan Ball; Ian Rush, Dixie Dean
Merseyside derby combined all-time XI
Liverpool only exist because Everton walked out of Anfield. In 1892 Everton fell out with their landlord over the rent and moved across Stanley Park to Goodison, and a new... Read more...
Framed Manchester combined XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: Peter Schmeichel; Kyle Walker, Rio Ferdinand, Vincent Kompany, Denis Irwin; Bobby Charlton, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; George Best, Sergio Agüero, Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester derby combined all-time XI: United and City in one team
Ask a United fan and a City fan to pick one team between them and you'll get two answers and a falling out. Twenty years ago this would have been... Read more...
Framed Rangers all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Rangers shirts: Andy Goram; Sandy Jardine, George Young, Richard Gough, Eric Caldow; Brian Laudrup, John Greig, Paul Gascoigne, Jim Baxter; Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley. Manager Walter Smith
Rangers all-time 11: nine-in-a-row and the men before it
Pick a Rangers all-time 11 and you hit the same wall every time. Do you trust the side you saw, or the one your dad talked about? For anyone under... Read more...
Framed Nine in a row print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Rangers shirts: Andy Goram; Gary Stevens, Richard Gough, John Brown, David Robertson; Brian Laudrup, Stuart McCall, Paul Gascoigne, Ian Ferguson; Ally McCoist, Mark Hateley. Manager Walter Smith
Gifts for a Rangers fan they'll be glad to get
Most Rangers fans over 40 will tell you where they were when Laudrup headed in at Tannadice. That was 7 May 1997, and it won the ninth title in a... Read more...
Framed The Lisbon Lions print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Celtic shirts: Ronnie Simpson; Jim Craig, Billy McNeill, John Clark, Tommy Gemmell; Jimmy Johnstone, Bobby Murdoch, Bertie Auld, Bobby Lennox; Willie Wallace, Stevie Chalmers. Manager Jock Stein
Gifts for a Celtic fan: Lisbon Lions and beyond
Buying for a Celtic fan is easy if all you want is a scarf. They'll have three. The harder bit is finding something they'll still care about next year, and... Read more...
Framed Leeds United all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Leeds United shirts: Nigel Martyn; Paul Reaney, Jack Charlton, Norman Hunter, Terry Cooper; Billy Bremner, Johnny Giles, Gordon Strachan; Peter Lorimer, John Charles, Eddie Gray
Leeds United all-time XI: Revie's lot against the 2000 side
Picking a Leeds all-time XI is mostly a fight with Don Revie's team sheet. Seven or eight of his players walk into most fans' sides before you've even had a... Read more...
Framed Aston Villa all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Aston Villa shirts: Emiliano Martínez; Kenny Swain, Paul McGrath, Allan Evans, Steve Staunton; John McGinn, Dennis Mortimer, Gordon Cowans, Tony Morley; Dwight Yorke, Peter Withe
Aston Villa all-time XI: the 1982 European Cup team and who else
Every Villa all-time XI starts in Rotterdam. 26 May 1982, Bayern Munich, Tony Morley down the left, Peter Withe from close range, 1-0. A year earlier Ron Saunders had won... Read more...
Framed West Ham all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in West Ham United shirts: Phil Parkes; Billy Bonds, Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Moore, Frank Lampard; Declan Rice, Trevor Brooking, Martin Peters; Jarrod Bowen, Geoff Hurst, Paolo Di Canio
West Ham all-time XI: Moore, the academy and the rest
West Ham call themselves the Academy of Football, and for once a club slogan is fair. Three of England's 1966 winners came through at Upton Park. Thirty years later the... Read more...
Framed Everton all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Everton shirts: Neville Southall; Gary Stevens, Brian Labone, Kevin Ratcliffe, Leighton Baines; Trevor Steven, Peter Reid, Alan Ball, Kevin Sheedy; Graeme Sharp, Dixie Dean
Everton all-time XI: Dean, Southall and how much of 1985 you can fit in
Dean up front and Southall in goal. Nobody needs convincing. The real argument is how much of Howard Kendall's mid-80s team you can squeeze in, and whether anyone from the... Read more...
Framed Ronaldo's teammates XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: Iker Casillas; Gary Neville, Sergio Ramos, Nemanja Vidić, Marcelo; Luka Modrić, Paul Scholes, Toni Kroos; Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema, Wayne Rooney. Manager Alex Ferguson
Cristiano Ronaldo's best teammates XI
Moscow, 2008. Ronaldo misses his penalty in the shootout, and for a few minutes it looks like he's thrown away the Champions League. Then Edwin van der Sar dives the... Read more...
Framed Premier League XI of the 2000s print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: Petr Čech; Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, John Terry, Ashley Cole; Steven Gerrard, Patrick Vieira, Frank Lampard; Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Thierry Henry
The best Premier League XI of the 2000s
Any list that leaves out Paul Scholes is going to upset someone, and this one leaves him out, along with Roy Keane and Wayne Rooney. That's what happens when you... Read more...
Framed Celtic all-time XI print, black frame, 4-2-3-1 in Celtic shirts: Ronnie Simpson; Danny McGrain, Billy McNeill, Roy Aitken, Tommy Gemmell; Bobby Murdoch, Paul McStay; Jimmy Johnstone, Kenny Dalglish, Bobby Lennox; Henrik Larsson
Celtic all-time XI: the Lisbon Lions question
Pick a Celtic all-time XI and you hit the same problem in about ten seconds. Eleven men won the European Cup in Lisbon in 1967, all born within a short... Read more...
Framed North London combined XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in club shirts: Pat Jennings; Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole; Danny Blanchflower, Patrick Vieira, Glenn Hoddle; Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, Thierry Henry. Manager Bill Nicholson
North London derby combined all-time XI
Picking a combined Arsenal and Tottenham XI is a good way to fall out with everyone you know in north London. Arsenal fans think it should be ten of theirs... Read more...
Framed England all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in England shirts: Gordon Banks; Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Moore, Ashley Cole; David Beckham, Bobby Charlton, Steven Gerrard, Tom Finney; Gary Lineker, Harry Kane. Manager Alf Ramsey
England all-time XI: Banks, Moore, Gerrard and who partners Kane
Every pub in England has a bloke who saw Finney play and won't hear a word against him, and another who thinks nobody before 1992 could have lived with Rooney.... Read more...
Framed Our City XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Manchester City shirts: Bert Trautmann; Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Rúben Dias, Willie Donachie; Colin Bell, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; Mike Summerbee, Sergio Agüero, David Silva. Manager Pep Guardiola
Gifts for a Man City fan, whatever era they grew up in
If the person you're buying for was at Wembley in May 1999, you already know what Dickov means to them. Third tier, play-off final against Gillingham, 2-0 down with the... Read more...
Framed Spurs all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Tottenham Hotspur shirts: Pat Jennings; Kyle Walker, Gary Mabbutt, Ledley King, Cyril Knowles; Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Glenn Hoddle, Gareth Bale; Jimmy Greaves, Harry Kane
Gifts for a Spurs fan who already owns the scarf
Most Spurs fans already own the scarf. They've probably got two mugs and a home shirt they bought in August and stopped wearing by Christmas. The good news is that... Read more...
Framed Munich 2012 print, black frame, 4-2-3-1 in Chelsea shirts: Petr Čech; José Bosingwa, Gary Cahill, David Luiz, Ashley Cole; John Obi Mikel, Frank Lampard; Salomon Kalou, Juan Mata, Ryan Bertrand; Didier Drogba. Manager Roberto Di Matteo
Gifts for a Chelsea fan, from Stamford Bridge tours to a framed XI
Ask a Chelsea fan about their club and you'll get one of about five answers. Some still talk about Osgood and the King's Road. Some fell for it when Zola... Read more...
Framed Our Newcastle XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Newcastle United shirts: Shay Given; Kieran Trippier, Bobby Moncur, Philippe Albert, Frank Clark; Rob Lee, Bruno Guimarães, Peter Beardsley, Gary Speed; Jackie Milburn, Alan Shearer
Gifts for a Newcastle fan they'll keep on the wall
On 16 March 2025, Dan Burn headed in at Wembley, Alexander Isak added a second, and Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 to win the League Cup. Before that, the last major... Read more...
Framed Man City all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Manchester City shirts: Bert Trautmann; Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Rúben Dias, Willie Donachie; Colin Bell, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne; Mike Summerbee, Sergio Agüero, David Silva
Man City all-time XI: how many old boys survive the Abu Dhabi years?
Twenty years ago this was easy. You took most of Joe Mercer's side from the late sixties, found room for Trautmann and Kinkladze, and argued about the full backs. Then... Read more...
Framed Premier League XI of the 1990s print, white frame, 4-4-2 in club shirts: Peter Schmeichel; Gary Neville, Tony Adams, Gary Pallister, Denis Irwin; David Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, Ryan Giggs; Eric Cantona, Alan Shearer
The best Premier League XI of the 1990s
Nine of my eleven played for Manchester United. I tried hard to get more Arsenal and Newcastle in, and the honours list kept getting in the way. Read more...
Framed The Invincibles print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Arsenal shirts: Jens Lehmann; Lauren, Sol Campbell, Kolo Touré, Ashley Cole; Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva, Robert Pires; Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry. Manager Arsène Wenger
Gifts for an Arsenal fan they'll actually keep
They've got the scarf. They've got four mugs. Before you add a fifth, work out which Arsenal they mean when they say Arsenal. Someone who still calls it Highbury and... Read more...
Framed Spurs all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Tottenham Hotspur shirts: Pat Jennings; Kyle Walker, Gary Mabbutt, Ledley King, Cyril Knowles; Danny Blanchflower, Dave Mackay, Glenn Hoddle, Gareth Bale; Jimmy Greaves, Harry Kane
Spurs all-time XI: the Double side, Hoddle and Harry Kane
Modric doesn't start in my Spurs all-time XI. Neither does Gascoigne, or Ardiles, or Lloris, and I'm aware that's four reasons for you to stop reading. Stick with me. Spurs... Read more...
Framed Chelsea all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Chelsea shirts: Petr Čech; César Azpilicueta, John Terry, Ron Harris, Ashley Cole; Charlie Cooke, N'Golo Kanté, Frank Lampard, Eden Hazard; Peter Osgood, Didier Drogba. Manager José Mourinho
Chelsea all-time starting XI, from Osgood to the Abramovich years
Four names go in before you've even sat down. Čech, Terry, Lampard, Drogba. Argue about those and you're arguing for the sake of it. The rest is a fight, and... Read more...
Framed Newcastle United all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Newcastle United shirts: Shay Given; Kieran Trippier, Bobby Moncur, Philippe Albert, Frank Clark; Rob Lee, Bruno Guimarães, Peter Beardsley, Gary Speed; Jackie Milburn, Alan Shearer
Newcastle United all-time XI
Any Newcastle all-time XI starts with two number nines. Jackie Milburn scored 200 goals for the club. Alan Shearer went past him in February 2006 and finished on 206. You... Read more...
Framed Madrid 2019 print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Liverpool shirts: Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joël Matip, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané
Gifts for a Liverpool fan, sorted by the final they cried at
On the last day of last season, 24 May 2026, Liverpool drew 1-1 with Brentford and Anfield said goodbye to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. Both had signed in the... Read more...
Framed Our United XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Manchester United shirts: Peter Schmeichel; Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić, Denis Irwin; Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Bobby Charlton; Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, George Best
Gifts for a Man Utd fan, matched to their era
Ask a United fan over 40 where they were when Solskjær's toe poke went in and you'll get a ten-minute answer. Ask one over 70 and they might start with... Read more...
Framed Arsenal's best ever XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Arsenal shirts: David Seaman; Lee Dixon, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole; Freddie Ljungberg, Patrick Vieira, Liam Brady, Robert Pires; Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry
Arsenal's best ever XI: the Invincibles against everyone else
Pick an Arsenal all-time XI and you'll get half of it written for you by one season. The 2003-04 side went 38 league games without losing, 26 wins and 12... Read more...
Framed Liverpool all-time XI print, black frame, 4-3-3 in Liverpool shirts: Ray Clemence; Phil Neal, Alan Hansen, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ian Callaghan, Graeme Souness, Steven Gerrard; Mohamed Salah, Kenny Dalglish, John Barnes
Liverpool all-time XI: Dalglish over Rush, and other fights
Picking a Liverpool all-time XI means leaving out players who'd walk into almost any other club's side. Rush. Carragher. Alisson. Keegan. Somebody good always misses out, and somebody reading this... Read more...
Framed Manchester United all-time XI print, black frame, 4-4-2 in Manchester United shirts: Peter Schmeichel; Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidić, Denis Irwin; George Best, Roy Keane, Bobby Charlton, Ryan Giggs; Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo
Manchester United all-time XI: Busby's boys, Fergie's teams and one big row
Picking a Manchester United all-time XI means leaving out a European Footballer of the Year. Probably two. Four men have won that award while playing for United (Law, Charlton, Best... Read more...