Today’s Footballing Birthdays

MESUT OZIL – 31 years

The 2014 FIFA World Cup winner turns 31 today. After impressing in his homeland for Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen, Real Madrid snapped up the midfielder in the 2010/2011 season after helping Germany to third place at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He spent three successful years in the Spanish capital and won the Spanish La Liga in the 2011/2012 season under the stewardship of Jose Mourinho. He was transferred to Arsenal at the start of the 2013/2014 season and has helped the Gunners to three FA Cups in six seasons. He represented Germany at three FIFA World Cups and two European Championships and announced his retirement from international football after the 2018 World Cup.

DAVID TREZEGUET- 42 years

Scorer of the golden goal that won France the European Championships in 2000, Trezeguet is a household name in French football. Born to Argentine parents in France in 1977, Trezeguet played for clubs in both France and Argentina including AS Monaco and Newells Old Boys. However, it was at Juventus that he made his name. He spent a decade at the Turin club, scoring 138 goals in 245 League games. The two-time Serie A winner was also the top scorer in the Italian top flight in the 2001/2002 season. At the international level, Trezeguet was part of the French squad that won the FIFA World Cup on home soil in 1998.

ANDY COLE- 48 years

Andy Cole was once the most expensive player in British transfer history when he moved from Newcastle United to Manchester United in a deal reportedly worth £7m in January 1995. He won the Premier League title five times during his spell at Old Trafford. He was an integral member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s squad that won the UEFA Champions League, FA Cup, and the Premier League title in the 1998/1999 season. Despite his prolific career, Cole only won 15 England caps, scoring once. He played for the likes of Sunderland, Fulham, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers during his illustrious career.

DIDIER DESCHAMPS- 51 years

Didier Deschamps became one of only three people to lift the FIFA World Cup both as a player and a coach when he led France to win the 2018 World Cup. He is one of the most decorated players in French football history. He played for the likes of Marseille, Juventus, Chelsea, and Valencia, winning the Champions League once with Marseille and again with Juventus. He won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 with France and the European Championship in 2000. At the 2018 FIFA Best Awards, he was voted as the world’s best coach.