Now that the football season has begun to fire on all cylinders, here is a look at the best players plying their trade on planet Earth!

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TEN) Samuel Eto’o (Barcelona)

Was linked with a move away from the Camp Nou in the summer, but the speculation hasn’t affected him one bit, as he has found the net eight times in ten games this season. The Cameroonian is a lethal finisher who frightens the life out of opposition with his no-nonsense hustle and bustle style, and incredibly still only 27, but with over a century of goals at Barcelona.

NINE) Petr Cech (Chelsea)

Quite easily the best keeper in the world today, the Chelsea man is a model of consistency who bounced back fantastically from the life-threatening injury he sustained against Reading in October 2006. He is a big reason why the west London club has one of the meanest defences in the Premier League. At 26, Petr is practically a baby in goalkeeper terms and will go down as one of the best signings the club has made. Incidentally, it was also the last transfer that manager Claudio Ranieri made before he was sacked!

EIGHT) Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

This no-nonsense Serbian defender has been at the very peak of his game ever since he moved to Old Trafford, and he has in many ways made his centre-back partner Rio Ferdinand even better in the process. Vidic isn’t afraid to throw himself at anything in order to help his team succeed, this is the main reason why he tends to end each game with a bloodied nose or nasty knock for his troubles.

SEVEN) Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich)

This French international opted for a move to the Bundesliga when the big clubs came calling after he impressed at Marseille. He has gone from strength to strength since making that decision, and it has paid off thus far as he helped the Bayern to the title and he took the award for player of the season by a country mile. He is sure to help Jurgen Klinsmann improve after a nervy opening to the new season, but the club has started handily in the Champions League, and it could well be Ribery that leads them back in the hunt for Europe’s top prize.

SIX) Fernando Torres (Liverpool)

The impact the Spaniard made in his first season in English football was astounding. Many considered the price paid for his services to be too steep, but 29 goals in 35 league starts have proven his doubters way wide of the mark. This stylish and speedy striker helped Spain to their Euro 2008 success with the winner in the final, and he is key to Rafa’s hopes of a first title in 19 years for Liverpool.

FIVE) Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Player of the season last term, he angered many with his apparent insistence on a move to Real Madrid which Sir Alex wisely prevented, but now he is back doing what he does best. That is scaring defences with his multiple stepovers (which can surely induce epileptic fits such is their repetition at high speed) and eye for a great goal. Could do with continuing to tone down the theatrics and diving, something he has greatly improved in the past 18 months. A player who can quite literally win a game singlehandedly.

FOUR) Kaka (Ac Milan)

A player who should be commended for sticking with the San Siro outfit after they incredibly missed out on Champions League football this term, Kaka oozes class whenever he collects the ball. The Brazilian really is a legend of the game, who should help Carlo Ancelotti’s side hit the high notes again (maybe even this season?). Testament to his quality were the figures bandied about with regard to a potential move to Real Madrid, when sums in the region of £100m were mentioned and the biggest sign of respect shown to Kaka was that even this figure didn’t seem extravagant!

THREE) Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)

There can be few players ever to have shown the kind of talent Cesc has at just 21 years of age. The Arsenal man has already amassed an incredible 206 top flight appearances and shown maturity way beyond his years. So often the point of focus for the north London side, Fabregas seems to get better and better and he is a joy to watch. A player who is always thinking, a player whose style and vision perfectly complements the club he represents, almost as if he was the playing creation of Arsene Wenger’s tactical brain. A simply wonderful footballer with so many good years in front of him, it’s no wonder that any mention of a move away from the Emirates is greeted with a sense of anxiety from the club’s loyal following.

TWO) Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

There are few players around who can have such a huge impact on a club, a player who is so important to that one club that, without him, they would surely struggle. The England international will forever be remembered by Liverpool fans for the way he took the 2005 Champions League final by the scruff of the neck and hauled his side from three goals down to win. He consistently delivers for the club and will hopefully never leave. I have lost count of the amount of times he has come up with the goods to help swing the game in the club’s favour. Swift in the tackle and always ready to get stuck in and get his shirt dirty, Gerrard offers a lot more defensively than people give him credit for, but it’s his blistering finishing from all angles and his incisive passing that gets the headlines, and rightly so!

ONE) Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

Quite simply the man of the moment, anyone who watched his performance this weekend against Atletico Madrid will have been mesmerized by the Barcelona attacker’s ability. Many players who have represented Argentina have fallen foul of the impossible expectation of becoming the country’s next Maradona. Well it is quite conceivable that Messi could outdo that maestro by the time he hangs up his boots. Incredible balance and an incredible ability to fight off centre-backs who tower over him and brush them aside with impunity. His outstanding ability thrills the home support almost at will with every touch of the ball. Messi has already captured two La Liga titles, one Champions League winners medal and an Olympic gold medal…and he is still only 21! Never has the phrase “the sky is the limit” been so apt!

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