Players with the club at heart?

[JakeRedMCFC]

It's obvious that the top clubs in our league have key players that have the club at their heart:

Liverpool - Gerrard, been there his whole career and mostly makes the team along with Torres.
Chelsea - Terry, Chelsea's Talisman, as shown against arsenal and many other games he is Mr Chelsea and is a quality defender (Forget off pitch events)
United - Rooney, we all hate him but there is no doubt he is an absolutely quality striker and has shown he has United at heart.
Arsenal - Can't really think of anyone they have?

Who do we have though, you could say SWP? Stevie? Couple of our academy players, Micah, Nedum? None of them though are on the same level as the other players I mentioned. Is a quality player with the club at heart needed to be a top of the league club?

 

[Kinky by name]

It's obvious that the top clubs in our league have key players that have the club at their heart:

Liverpool - Gerrard, been there his whole career and mostly makes the team along with Torres.
Chelsea - Terry, Chelsea's Talisman, as shown against arsenal and many other games he is Mr Chelsea and is a quality defender (Forget off pitch events)
United - Rooney, we all hate him but there is no doubt he is an absolutely quality striker and has shown he has United at heart.
Arsenal - Can't really think of anyone they have?

Who do we have though, you could say SWP? Stevie? Couple of our academy players, Micah, Nedum? None of them though are on the same level as the other players I mentioned. Is a quality player with the club at heart needed to be a top of the league club?

we've got Robinho

 

[brianireland]

Dont know any with a club heart. but i reckon i seen one or two with a club foot this season

 

[adzmcfc1993]

richard dunne was our last remaining player with the club at heart then we sold him...

we need someone with passion then again money talks no matter what footballer it is.

 

[Dhenry]

Bellamy.

Hughes or no Hughes, City gave him the chance he wanted, at the top most level, to prove his worth..and he has done by fighting for his position with the british record signing.. and winning. Robbie is a class act, but Bellamy has shown him how pure energy and heart overcome skill and talent.. Love the guy and he loves us.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not sure any player has his club at heart.

He may enjoy playing for that club due to either the success on the field, the banter with his fellow team mates etc, but actually caring about the club? As long as they are getting their cheque they don't care less imho.

I mean, look at the mess Pompey are in. How many of their players are knocking on doors looking for investment, playing charity matches to raise funds to keep the club afloat for the good of that community (nb that is NOT a criticism of any of those players down there, just an example of the type of behaviour you may expect of someone with their club at heart if you see what I mean)?

You can quote your Giggs and Gerrard as long time servers at one club, but whilst I'm sure they'd both be disappointed to see their respective clubs go bust, I'm just as sure neither would lose any sleep over it.

 

[City Mike]

There are very very few top players who love their club in the way you state. The Terry's and Gerrard's of this world are rare because players don't tend to stay at one club for their whole careers.

The very top players will eventually move to the top clubs so that they are competing in the top competitions (Matt le Tissier and Steve Bull being exceptions that prove the rule). Therefore, for a top club to have a player who loves his club unconditionally like this he must come through the youth system and/or be a fan from childhood.

Some players will "give their all" regardless of who they play for, because thats the way they play the game à la Bellamy, Tevez, Rooney. Other players may need some greater motivation to perform at the highest intensity (I'm thinking of players like Adebayor now).

What I'm trying to say is for nearly every player in the Premier League the club is little more than an employer to them. As fans we like to believe that if we support our players they will reward us with effort on the pitch (as a minimum). And while this is true, it's the same at every club, so it doesn't differentiate between them. Bellamy has played for half a dozen Prem teams and I doubt he loves City more or less than the others.

 

[TTTCITYBHOY]

Bellamy,like Robbie Keane ,came to Celtic for 5/6 months.There was no dispute about Bellamy among the Celtic fans.We fukn loved him,the few months he was there.Especially when he scored the winner at Castle Greyskull (ibrox).Short term or not,Bellamy just now is one of our best players this season.

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

richard dunne was our last remaining player with the club at heart then we sold him...

we need someone with passion then again money talks no matter what footballer it is.

The club can't expect players with heart when the only one to have shown any loyalty in that situation gets sold down the river.

All the academy players, Ned, Micah, the Emerald Prince, SWP, who have some matches under their belts, but come the bid, they would be off. The days of Alan Oakes, Tommy Booth, and Mike Doyle are studies in history.

 

[Stiss]

I'd say Bellamy at the moment.

Before him I would of said Dunne.