What a career Fredi Kanoute had. The former Lyon, Sevilla, Tottenham and West Ham man played with some of the greatest in the game – and he was pretty handy himself.
Kanoute joined West Ham after a loan spell at the turn of the noughties before moving across London – later winning two UEFA Cups in Spain. He also represented Mali internationally and was crowned the prestigious African Footballer of the Year in 2007.
We sat down to ask the former forward who would he would pick in his Perfect XI – and he certainly didn't disappoint with the names he provided…
Fredi Kanoute's Perfect XI – Goalkeeper: Andres Palop
“A fantastic captain. Andres was always one of the big motivators at Sevilla – a wonderful professional. I remember him racing up from the back to score a stoppage-time equaliser in our UEFA Cup tie against Shakhtar Donetsk [in 2007], en route to us winning the trophy. In the final, he saved three of Espanyol’s four penalties in the shootout.”
Right-back: Dani Alves
“An easy one. Dani was the best right-back I ever played with – such was his attacking prowess, it almost felt like he was a No.10! He has brilliant vision, plus playmaking and crossing abilities which he makes effective from that position. And his energy…”
Centre-back: Ledley King
“Ledley had everything: technique, strength, vision… all the attributes of a top centre-back. He could have played in midfield. Sadly, his knee injuries prevented him from making the number of appearances he could have done.”
Centre-back: Julien Escude
“He was elegant and had great distribution. At Sevilla, I’d always look to position myself in a pocket high upfield when Julien had the ball, because I knew he could put it exactly where I wanted on my chest. He was really clever with his positioning too, making up for the fact he wasn’t that strong, quick or tall.”
Left-back: Antonio Puerta
“Antonio was a magnificent player, and it was a tragedy to lose such a lovely person at a very young age [22]. He had a fine left foot and could do anything you’d want from a wing-back. His sensational strike against Schalke in the 2006 UEFA Cup semis sent us through to face Middlesbrough, who we beat 4-0 in Eindhoven.”
Right-midfield: Jesus Navas
“I like Jesus even more as a person than I do as a player. In terms of his qualities as a player, he boasts pace, power, stamina and superb technical ability. Unfortunately, I don’t think people always understand his game – if you know where he likes to deliver the ball, you could get 20 goals a season from his assists.”
Centre-midfield: Michael Carrick
“I played with Michael at both West Ham and Spurs, and watched him develop every year. He had great vision and awareness, and was comfortable on the ball using either foot. He lacked a little bit of aggression when he was young but worked very hard on that – we saw the finished product at Manchester United.”
Centre-midfield: Seydou Keita
“We were team-mates many times, be it for Mali or Sevilla. He lives for football, and rarely have I seen a guy who puts in as much effort on the training field as he does during games. Added to the ability he had with his left foot, it’s no surprise that he’s admired in Mali and at the clubs he played for.”
Left-midfield: Adriano
“A terrific two-footed footballer – so much so, it was difficult to tell whether he was right or left-footed! Adriano was powerful and one of the fastest players I ever shared a pitch with. When completely fit, his speed, strength and technique made him unstoppable.”
Centre-forward: Jermain Defoe
“I warmed to him instantly at West Ham. Jermain is a true No.9, who can shoot from anywhere with either foot and knows instinctively where the goal is. His strength on the ball is incredible.”
Centre-forward: Sonny Anderson
“He was a senior player at Lyon when I was coming through – I really looked up to him. Training with Sonny, I could see he was on a different level to everyone else. He was so clever in his positioning to reach the ball before defenders.”
Manager: Juande Ramos
“We enjoyed so much success under Juande at Sevilla. I know it was more of a struggle at Spurs, but I think not speaking the language was a key factor. As a coach, his ability to win was clear.”
Substitutes
Paulo Di Canio
Luis Fabiano
Robbie Keane
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