DENNIS BERGKAMP - The Footballing God of When, Mr Bergkamp knew how to time a pass to perfection. Even made the bustling English top division look like a piece of renaissance art. How cool is that?

CARECA - without doubt the coolest sticker in the Panini World Cup 1986 album (alongside Mozer), Careca's tempered snarl exuded the exact type of cool that was reflected in his finishing. Maradona loved him.

HRISTO STOICHKOV - A left foot of pure Bulgarian gold, Stoichkov once said "I believe there are two Christs - him up there and me down here." Inhabited the arrogant, angrier side of cool for sure.

ROBIN FRIDAY - Not the greatest footballing photo ever taken, but – if you're into a bit of Liam Gallagher swagger, rock 'n' fuck 'n' roll and supporting your team hard – then surely the coolest?

STAN BOWLES - An eccentric footballer, drinker, womaniser and gambler who simply did things the way he wanted to. His unerring individuality and joyous sense of maverick elevates him to our list.

FERNANDO REDONDO - After a spectacular display in the QFs of the CL at Old Trafford when Redondo backheeled the ball through Henning Berg's leg to set up Raul's winner, Fergie said: "What does this player have in his boots, a magnet?"

GLENN HODDLE - Mocked unreservedly now, when Hoddle was at Spurs' heart he was the Master of Calm. Made every pitch he played on look like Wembley with a cultured array of passing and control. Sublime.

JOHAN CRUYFF - There's nothing cooler than breezing past defenders like a cold Dutch wind, being the integral part of a whole new footballing concept and inventing your own move, is there?

SOCRATES - The bearded heartbeat of the 1982 side was a doctor, smoked like a kipper and had the most excellent barnet on the planet. The headbanded clinician of cool.

DJALMA SANTOS - There's something we've always loved about Garrincha's right-sided pal. Included in the 1962 World Cup Dream Team, with the face of a fighting dog, he just looks fucking cool, doesn't he?