Shawsy Names His Dream Team

Goalkeeper
Nigel Martyn ­ Crystal Palace
Nigel joined Palace shortly after our promotion to the old Division One in 1989. He played a massive role in us reaching the 1990 FA Cup final and finishing third in the league the following season. Nigel was always a superbly dedicated trainer so I'm not surprised that he¹s still going
strong at Everton. Unfortunate not to win more England caps.

Right-back
Roland Nilsson ­ Coventry City
Probably the best player I ever played with. Roland was a very under-rated player and one of the best right-backs in the world, winning over 100 caps for Sweden. I never saw him get beaten by any winger. His positional sense was amazing and when I switched to right centre-half and had him alongside me, he helped me to adapt to my new role. Had a spell as manager but unfortunately it didn't work out.

centre-half
Chris Coleman ­ Crystal Palace
One of the leaders of that good Palace side of the early 90s. Chris and I
were good mates off the pitch at Palace and we remain very close to this day. We had a great understanding on the pitch and weren¹t afraid to tell the other if he was having a bad game. Chris had a good left foot and was an able passer of the ball. Back then, I never saw him becoming a manager, but he¹s impressed everyone with the job he¹s doing at Fulham and I¹m thrilled to bits for him.

centre-half
Paul Williams ­ Coventry City
Another one of my big mates in football. Paul was very aggressive in the
tackle and he was a great communicator. Possessed a very good left foot with which he could hit 50-yard passes. He had the opportunity to move to bigger clubs but I think he valued what he had at Coventry and stayed put.

left-back

David Burrows ­ Coventry City
The ex-Liverpool left-back had a great left foot, loved a tackle and was
always disgusted with himself if he gave the ball away. David enjoyed getting forward and his crossing was impressive. He was very influential off the pitch, had a great sense of humour and everyone loved having him about. I felt he should definitely have been capped by England.

right midfield
Gordon Strachan ­ Coventry City
I only played with Gordon a couple of times when he first went to Coventry as OBig' Ron Atkinson¹s assistant but, despite Gordon being close to 40 at the time, he was absolutely phenomenal down that right- hand side. In the five-a-sides in training, he was still the best player and put us to shame. Many of his old players still keep in touch with Gordon and that's a testament to the kind of character he is. Instrumental in Leeds' surprise 1992 title success.

centre midfield
Gary McAllister ­ Coventry City
A very technical player with outstanding passing ability, short and long,
and very much a throwback to midfielders of a bygone era. Everything went through him and his departure in the summer of 2000 for Liverpool really hurt us. It¹s no coincidence that we were relegated the following year. Won five trophies in an outstanding couple of years at Liverpool before returning to manage City for a brief spell. Captains my team.

centre midfield
Youssef Chippo ­ Coventry City
Chippo' work-rate was fantastic and the Moroccan also contributed the odd goal, often real screamers from 25 yards. Chippo played the game with a smile and he always wanted to learn. I don't think City fans have forgotten what a good partnership he and Gary (McAllister) formed at the heart of the City midfield.

left midfield
Mustapha Hadji ­ Coventry City
The things Chippo's fellow Moroccan could do with the ball were amazing. You¹d give Mustapha the ball and he'd just get on with it. He was never going to track back or make last-ditch tackles, but he was able to get forward, unlock defences and score goals.

forward
Ian Wright ­ Crystal Palace
I hated playing against Ian when he moved to Arsenal. He¹d pull your hair,pull your shirt and was just a constant nuisance. But he was a gem to play with at Palace. He was a natural goalscorer and I felt he was unlucky not to have got more England caps. Ian was probably the catalyst for the success we had at Palace in the late 80s and early 90s. While Thierry Henry has overtaken his scoring record at Arsenal, it¹s worth remembering Ian scored his goals in fewer games and, perhaps more importantly, in inferior Arsenal teams to those Henry has played in.

forward
Robbie Keane ­ Coventry City
The best teenager I ever played with. Robbie was 19 when he came to Coventry and was a genius with the ball at his feet. Even Gordon (Strachan) was blown away by his ability. Robbie sees passes so quickly and having him and Gary (McAllister) in the same team was brilliant for the club. Unfortunately, he was only with us for a season before joining Inter in the summer of 2000.

Richard's selection featured in this weeks copy of The League Paper.