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Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Andy Gray - Everton And Scotland Legend Graeme Sharp Picks His Team-Mate Best XI
Goodison and Anfield greats alike feature in the former striker's dream team but there is no place for England ace Gary Lineker as Sharp puts emphasis on partnerships
27-Dec-2011 4:08:00 PM
Getty Images
EXCLUSIVE
By Rob Stewart
Former Scotland striker Graeme Sharp reached the pinnacle of English football with Everton, playing with some of the game’s true greats along the way for both club and country.
Following a £120,000 move from Dumbarton, Sharp went on to spend 11 trophy-laden years at Goodison Park where he scored 150 goals as the Merseyside outfit ruled the English game and enjoyed success in Europe as well, by virtue of Cup Winners’ Cup glory.
His stirring exploits in an Everton shirt alongside the likes of Barcelona-bound Gary Lineker earned him international recognition, as he ended up playing alongside Liverpool greats in the shape of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness.
Sharp, who is an official ambassador for Everton and provides expert analysis on his former club’s matches for Merseyside-based Radio City, took a time-out from the hectic festive programme to tell Goal.com about his best ever team-mates XI.
It is no exaggeration at all for me to say that at the time Neville Southall was the very best goalkeeper in the world.
He had everything that a top goalkeeper needs in terms of shot-stopping, judgement and being a commanding presence in his penalty and the fact he made 750 appearances for Everton and won lots of major honours speaks volumes.
As a last line of defence you really couldn’t ask for anyone better than Nev. It was a privilege to play alongside him. I just wish he had got to a major tournament with Wales.
Ian Snodin was brought to Everton by Howard Kendall from Leeds United as a midfielder but he ended up playing as right-back due to an injury for us and he really excelled there even though it was unfamiliar territory.
The reason I would go for him is because of the quality of the delivery into the box that he gave the team when he got forward from full-back because it was ideal for the forwards.
He was comfortable on the ball because he had been brought up as a midfielder and it’s just a shame that injury hampered his progress because I’m sure he would have gone on to be an England regular.
As a captain, Kevin Ratcliffe was superb. He was a great talker and an inspirational leader. He had tremendous stature both on and off the field.
Kevin was a striker's worst nightmare because he had everything that centre-forwards don’t like to be faced with.
He was unbelievably quick, he had a lovely touch, he was comfortable on the ball, he had really decent leap on him so he was good in the air and plus he was always prepared for the physical battle when necessary.
Dave Watson complemented Kevin Ratcliffe perfectly because even though he could play a bit, he was a good old-fashioned centre-back who loved nothing more than getting stuck in.
Dave was the sort of player who loved the physical side of things that that meant he was the ideal partner for Kevin.
He enjoyed the muck and nettles side of things and never ever shirked a physical confrontation or worried about putting his head in where it hurts and every team can do with someone of his calibre.
He was nicknamed ‘Psycho Pat’ and he had a reputation for being one of the game’s toughest defenders but people tend to forget what a very good player Pat Van Den Hauwe was and he showed that while he was at Everton.
Even though he was a right-footed player he was brilliant at left-back and, like Ian Snodin, his delivery of crosses into the box and his overall distribution were first-rate. He was an imposing opponent for right-wingers but he loved bombing forward as well.
He also did well when he played at centre-half, but it was his goal that clinched the Football League title for us at Norwich, and that shows how important he was for us at both ends of the field.
Trevor Steven was not the quickest of wingers but he made up for that relative lack of pace with his speed of thought.
He was such an intelligent player that he always seemed to have what it took to make that vital half-yard of space to get in his cross and when the ball was flighted over, it was generally of the highest quality.
He had a lovely repertoire of skills and tricks and I was always grateful for Trevor’s service from the wing. Plus he was good in the air and regularly weighed in with goals on a regular basis.
Graeme Souness had a real aura about him when he played for Liverpool and that was the same when we lined up together for Scotland.
There is no doubting that he was a hard man and he had a real physical presence about him. But while he could handle himself in midfield he was also a really graceful figure and a really good footballer.
Graeme could dictate play in the heat of battle, he could pass the ball around and he weighed in with goals as well.
Peter Reid would have been the ideal midfield partner for Graeme Souness because he was such a grafter but he was a good footballer as well who kept things nice and simple and always seemed to use the ball well.
When it came to scurrying around the midfield, winning back possession and setting our team on its way, Peter was without equal. He came to us when many were wondering if injuries had ruined his career but he proved them all wrong and ended up in the England side at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico.
With Trevor Steven on one wing and Kevin Sheedy on the left, I have to admit that I was to lucky play at centre-forward between the pair of them.
I would go for Kevin as my left-winger all day long because was a dream of a winger for any striker. His delivery into the box was always of the highest quality from open play and he was adept with our set-pieces as well, but he also got on to the scoresheet on a fairly frequent basis.
The Everton fans used to say that he had a magic wand of a left foot and they weren’t far wrong.
Kenny Dalglish was not the quickest of forwards but he was quick upstairs and that’s what really made him stand out because he really was a terrific player.
There was a natural quality about his game because he was so clever and astute and he had a lovely touch, but he was physically strong as well, and you would seldom see defenders get the better of him.
Great goalscorers such as Ian Rush at Liverpool would vouch for how important he was in terms of setting up chances.
While it was great to play alongside Gary Lineker for a season at Everton and see first-hand what a great goalscorer he was, I am thinking about how my team would fit together, and that said, I would have to go for Andy Gray.
He was coming to the tail end of his career when he came to Goodison Park but he was rejuvenated at Everton and he was at his aggressive best when he was leading the line with tremendous determination and enthusiasm.
I used to hero worship him when I was a kid and playing alongside him lived up to all my expectations. I think being at Everton brought the best out of him.
By Rob Stewart
Former Scotland striker Graeme Sharp reached the pinnacle of English football with Everton, playing with some of the game’s true greats along the way for both club and country.
Following a £120,000 move from Dumbarton, Sharp went on to spend 11 trophy-laden years at Goodison Park where he scored 150 goals as the Merseyside outfit ruled the English game and enjoyed success in Europe as well, by virtue of Cup Winners’ Cup glory.
His stirring exploits in an Everton shirt alongside the likes of Barcelona-bound Gary Lineker earned him international recognition, as he ended up playing alongside Liverpool greats in the shape of Kenny Dalglish and Graeme Souness.
Sharp, who is an official ambassador for Everton and provides expert analysis on his former club’s matches for Merseyside-based Radio City, took a time-out from the hectic festive programme to tell Goal.com about his best ever team-mates XI.
 |
NEVILLE SOUTHALL
GOALKEEPER |
It is no exaggeration at all for me to say that at the time Neville Southall was the very best goalkeeper in the world.He had everything that a top goalkeeper needs in terms of shot-stopping, judgement and being a commanding presence in his penalty and the fact he made 750 appearances for Everton and won lots of major honours speaks volumes.
As a last line of defence you really couldn’t ask for anyone better than Nev. It was a privilege to play alongside him. I just wish he had got to a major tournament with Wales.
|
|
IAN SNODIN
RIGHT-BACK |
Ian Snodin was brought to Everton by Howard Kendall from Leeds United as a midfielder but he ended up playing as right-back due to an injury for us and he really excelled there even though it was unfamiliar territory.The reason I would go for him is because of the quality of the delivery into the box that he gave the team when he got forward from full-back because it was ideal for the forwards.
He was comfortable on the ball because he had been brought up as a midfielder and it’s just a shame that injury hampered his progress because I’m sure he would have gone on to be an England regular.
|
|
KEVIN RATCLIFFE
CENTRE-BACK & CAPTAIN |
As a captain, Kevin Ratcliffe was superb. He was a great talker and an inspirational leader. He had tremendous stature both on and off the field. Kevin was a striker's worst nightmare because he had everything that centre-forwards don’t like to be faced with.
He was unbelievably quick, he had a lovely touch, he was comfortable on the ball, he had really decent leap on him so he was good in the air and plus he was always prepared for the physical battle when necessary.
|
|
DAVE WATSON
CENTRE-BACK |
Dave Watson complemented Kevin Ratcliffe perfectly because even though he could play a bit, he was a good old-fashioned centre-back who loved nothing more than getting stuck in. Dave was the sort of player who loved the physical side of things that that meant he was the ideal partner for Kevin.
He enjoyed the muck and nettles side of things and never ever shirked a physical confrontation or worried about putting his head in where it hurts and every team can do with someone of his calibre.
|
|
PAT VAN DEN HAUWE
LEFT-BACK |
He was nicknamed ‘Psycho Pat’ and he had a reputation for being one of the game’s toughest defenders but people tend to forget what a very good player Pat Van Den Hauwe was and he showed that while he was at Everton.Even though he was a right-footed player he was brilliant at left-back and, like Ian Snodin, his delivery of crosses into the box and his overall distribution were first-rate. He was an imposing opponent for right-wingers but he loved bombing forward as well.
He also did well when he played at centre-half, but it was his goal that clinched the Football League title for us at Norwich, and that shows how important he was for us at both ends of the field.
|
|
TREVOR STEVEN
RIGHT WING |
Trevor Steven was not the quickest of wingers but he made up for that relative lack of pace with his speed of thought.He was such an intelligent player that he always seemed to have what it took to make that vital half-yard of space to get in his cross and when the ball was flighted over, it was generally of the highest quality.
He had a lovely repertoire of skills and tricks and I was always grateful for Trevor’s service from the wing. Plus he was good in the air and regularly weighed in with goals on a regular basis.
 |
GRAEME SOUNESS
CENTRE MIDFIELD |
Graeme Souness had a real aura about him when he played for Liverpool and that was the same when we lined up together for Scotland.There is no doubting that he was a hard man and he had a real physical presence about him. But while he could handle himself in midfield he was also a really graceful figure and a really good footballer.
Graeme could dictate play in the heat of battle, he could pass the ball around and he weighed in with goals as well.
|
|
PETER REID
CENTRAL MIDFIELD |
Peter Reid would have been the ideal midfield partner for Graeme Souness because he was such a grafter but he was a good footballer as well who kept things nice and simple and always seemed to use the ball well.When it came to scurrying around the midfield, winning back possession and setting our team on its way, Peter was without equal. He came to us when many were wondering if injuries had ruined his career but he proved them all wrong and ended up in the England side at the 1986 World Cup finals in Mexico.
| |
KEVIN SHEEDY
LEFT WING |
With Trevor Steven on one wing and Kevin Sheedy on the left, I have to admit that I was to lucky play at centre-forward between the pair of them.I would go for Kevin as my left-winger all day long because was a dream of a winger for any striker. His delivery into the box was always of the highest quality from open play and he was adept with our set-pieces as well, but he also got on to the scoresheet on a fairly frequent basis.
The Everton fans used to say that he had a magic wand of a left foot and they weren’t far wrong.
|
|
KENNY DALGLISH
CENTRE FORWARD |
Kenny Dalglish was not the quickest of forwards but he was quick upstairs and that’s what really made him stand out because he really was a terrific player.There was a natural quality about his game because he was so clever and astute and he had a lovely touch, but he was physically strong as well, and you would seldom see defenders get the better of him.
Great goalscorers such as Ian Rush at Liverpool would vouch for how important he was in terms of setting up chances.
|
|
ANDY GRAY
CENTRE FORWARD |
While it was great to play alongside Gary Lineker for a season at Everton and see first-hand what a great goalscorer he was, I am thinking about how my team would fit together, and that said, I would have to go for Andy Gray.He was coming to the tail end of his career when he came to Goodison Park but he was rejuvenated at Everton and he was at his aggressive best when he was leading the line with tremendous determination and enthusiasm.
I used to hero worship him when I was a kid and playing alongside him lived up to all my expectations. I think being at Everton brought the best out of him.
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