Juan Sebastian Veron - Estudiantes
The son of Estudiantes legend Juan Ramon Veron was destined to follow in his father's footsteps and has become an idol in his own right for the Ratstabbers since returning from Europe in 2006. Seba made his breakthrough at Estudiantes in 1993 before departing for Boca Juniors and then onto Europe, where he enjoyed success with Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio, Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter. Since arriving home he has been crowned South American footballer of the year twice, led the club to their first Argentine title in 23 years and a first Copa Libertadores since 1971; his father was an important part of the Estudiantes side which won three consecutive titles at the back end of the 60s and early 70s. La Brujita has also helped secure funding for upgraded facilities at the club and has indicated that he would like to run for the position of president in the future.
Hakan Sukur - Galatasaray
One of Turkish football's greatest ever players enjoyed immense success with Galatasaray in his homeland, and his exploits on native turf simply could not be matched during spells in Italy and England. The Bull of the Bosphorus played for Cim Bom from 1992 through to 2000, save for an unhappy stint at Torino in 1995. During that time he helped the club win six league titles and four Turkish cups, as well as the UEFA Cup, before his departure for Inter. Hakan could not match his awesome strike rate at the Ali Sami Yen with Inter, Parma or Blackburn and returned to Istanbul in 2003. The veteran regained some of his form, helping Gala to two more titles and another cup. The all-time Turkey national team record goalscorer has since hung up his boots.
Stefan Effenberg - Borussia Moenchengladbach, Bayern Munich
A controversial and outspoken character, to say the least, Effenberg earns his place on the list for returning to two clubs during his professional career. He began at Borussia Moenchengladbach, the club to whom he returned in 1994 after a first spell with Bayern Munich and a stint with Fiorentina. Effenberg maintains: "Borussia comes from the heart, my time in Munich stands for success," an analogy which certainly stands up to scrutiny. His first term at Bayern was modest but his second was punctuated by an array of honours. The dominant club captain won the Champions League and three Bundesliga titles, as well as a German Cup to go alongside the one earned with Gladbach. Effenberg has been widely credited as being one of the greatest Bayern players of all-time but endured a torrid international career; he was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup for rudely gesturing to Germany fans and never played competitively again for the Nationalmannschaft.
Gerard Pique - Barcelona
From Manchester United reserve to World Cup winnner and European champion at club and international level. It is fair to say that Gerard Pique made the right decision swapping Old Trafford for Camp Nou in 2008. Between his arrival at United as a cantera prodigy in 2004 and departure four seasons later, Pique never truly convinced Sir Alex Ferguson of his potential and played only a handful of matches for the Red Devils. He has become a stalwart for Barca since coming back to the club and has helped the Blaugrana to an unprecedented level of success. The six trophies of his debut season have been embellished by the addition of a second Liga triumph last term. A born Catalan, Pique's grandfather was once an acting vice-president of Barcelona.
Frank Rijkaard - Ajax
The current Galatasaray coach fell out spectacularly with Johan Cruyff in 1987 to curtail his first spell in Amsterdam, an era which saw the central defender-cum-midfielder earn three Eredivisie crowns, three KNVB Bekers and a European Cup Winners' Cup. His spell at Milan turned him into a household name alongside Ruud Gullit and another former Ajax star, Marco Van Basten. Two European Cups and two Scudetti were only part of the booty plundered under Arrigo Sacchi, with a European Championship with The Netherlands thrown in for good measure too. He returned to help nurture Louis van Gaal's young Ajax team, which would go on to win a further Eredivisie title after Rijkaard retired with another two to his name. His last match for Ajax was the 1995 Champions League final victory over Milan. A stunning cameo to end a glittering career.
Martin Keown - Arsenal
A rock at the heart of Arsene Wenger's sides at the start of the last decade, Keown was afforded an Indian summer to a career which took in Aston Villa and Everton between his spells at Arsenal. He was deemed surplus to requirements at Highbury in 1986 before returning in 1993 and helping the club to a glut of honours including three league titles and three FA Cups. Keown formed one of the league's best partnerships with Tony Adams and provided Wenger with the requisite experience to guide younger members of the Arsenal back-line once Adams retired.
Martin Palermo - Boca Juniors
'El Titan' began his career with Estudiantes but came to prominence at La Bombonera between 1997 and 2000, when his scoring record placed him on the wish list of clubs across Europe. A knee ligament injury delayed his eventual arrival on the Old Continent but his stay in Spain was a short, unhappy one, much like fellow Boca legend, Juan Roman Riquelme. Palermo struggled to justify his hefty price tag at Villarreal and was dispatched to Betis and latterly Alaves. Since moving back to Buenos Aires in 2004 though, Palermo's career has undergone a resurgence. He has won three Argentine titles and a Copa Libertadores, among other honours. Also he has become Boca Juniors' all-time top scorer and even merited a place in former team-mate Diego Maradona's Argentina World Cup squad. He even managed a goal, against Greece, surpassing Maradona's record as los Albiceleste's oldest goalscorer.
Rui Costa - Benfica
Rui Costa is currently the director of football at Benfica after hanging up his boots in 2008, aged 36. He began his career with the Eagles in earnest after announcing himself on the global scene as part of Portugal's Golden Generation in 1991. After winning a Portuguese league title, Rui was sold to Fiorentina, with whom he won two Coppa Italia titles and developed a devastating partnership with Gabriel Batistuta. He added a Champions League, a Serie A title and a further Coppa Italia at Milan before returning home in 2006, waiving his rights to earn a €4.6 million salary at his beloved Benfica. He has since used his considerable influence to help the club sign the likes of Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar and Angel Di Maria.
Zico - Flamengo
The 'White Pele' is back at Fla following coaching stints in Asia and Europe in an advisory role and draws no salary from the club he represented with distiction on two separate occasions. He emerged during the early 70s to lead Flamengo's best-ever team, a side that won five Rio titles, five Brazilian titles, a Copa Libertadores and an Intercontinental Cup. His second spell, after a two year hiatus in Italy with Udinese, earned one Rio title and one national title but Zico failed to add many more appearances to his name. The attacking midfielder was also an integral part of Brazil's 1982 World Cup squad, widely seen as the best international side never to win the cup.
Henrik Larsson - Helsingborg
The Swedish legend embarked on a European odyssey after leaving Helsingborg, for whom he scored 50 times in 56 matches, for Feyenoord in 1993 before etching himself indelibly into Celtic folklore during an astonishing seven-year stay at Parkhead. He had a two-season stay under Rijkaard at Barcelona, with whom he contributed vitally to the 2006 Champions League triumph against Arsenal. He returned to Sweden, with Helsingborg, in 2006 and helped his hometown club to a Swedish Cup triumph. A brief cameo at Manchester United in 2007 gave a UK audience one last glimpse of the forward in his prime. Larsson has since retired from playing duty and is currently coach of Landskrona.
The son of Estudiantes legend Juan Ramon Veron was destined to follow in his father's footsteps and has become an idol in his own right for the Ratstabbers since returning from Europe in 2006. Seba made his breakthrough at Estudiantes in 1993 before departing for Boca Juniors and then onto Europe, where he enjoyed success with Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio, Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter. Since arriving home he has been crowned South American footballer of the year twice, led the club to their first Argentine title in 23 years and a first Copa Libertadores since 1971; his father was an important part of the Estudiantes side which won three consecutive titles at the back end of the 60s and early 70s. La Brujita has also helped secure funding for upgraded facilities at the club and has indicated that he would like to run for the position of president in the future.
Hakan Sukur - Galatasaray
One of Turkish football's greatest ever players enjoyed immense success with Galatasaray in his homeland, and his exploits on native turf simply could not be matched during spells in Italy and England. The Bull of the Bosphorus played for Cim Bom from 1992 through to 2000, save for an unhappy stint at Torino in 1995. During that time he helped the club win six league titles and four Turkish cups, as well as the UEFA Cup, before his departure for Inter. Hakan could not match his awesome strike rate at the Ali Sami Yen with Inter, Parma or Blackburn and returned to Istanbul in 2003. The veteran regained some of his form, helping Gala to two more titles and another cup. The all-time Turkey national team record goalscorer has since hung up his boots.
Stefan Effenberg - Borussia Moenchengladbach, Bayern Munich
A controversial and outspoken character, to say the least, Effenberg earns his place on the list for returning to two clubs during his professional career. He began at Borussia Moenchengladbach, the club to whom he returned in 1994 after a first spell with Bayern Munich and a stint with Fiorentina. Effenberg maintains: "Borussia comes from the heart, my time in Munich stands for success," an analogy which certainly stands up to scrutiny. His first term at Bayern was modest but his second was punctuated by an array of honours. The dominant club captain won the Champions League and three Bundesliga titles, as well as a German Cup to go alongside the one earned with Gladbach. Effenberg has been widely credited as being one of the greatest Bayern players of all-time but endured a torrid international career; he was kicked out of the 1994 World Cup for rudely gesturing to Germany fans and never played competitively again for the Nationalmannschaft.
Gerard Pique - Barcelona
From Manchester United reserve to World Cup winnner and European champion at club and international level. It is fair to say that Gerard Pique made the right decision swapping Old Trafford for Camp Nou in 2008. Between his arrival at United as a cantera prodigy in 2004 and departure four seasons later, Pique never truly convinced Sir Alex Ferguson of his potential and played only a handful of matches for the Red Devils. He has become a stalwart for Barca since coming back to the club and has helped the Blaugrana to an unprecedented level of success. The six trophies of his debut season have been embellished by the addition of a second Liga triumph last term. A born Catalan, Pique's grandfather was once an acting vice-president of Barcelona.
Frank Rijkaard - Ajax
The current Galatasaray coach fell out spectacularly with Johan Cruyff in 1987 to curtail his first spell in Amsterdam, an era which saw the central defender-cum-midfielder earn three Eredivisie crowns, three KNVB Bekers and a European Cup Winners' Cup. His spell at Milan turned him into a household name alongside Ruud Gullit and another former Ajax star, Marco Van Basten. Two European Cups and two Scudetti were only part of the booty plundered under Arrigo Sacchi, with a European Championship with The Netherlands thrown in for good measure too. He returned to help nurture Louis van Gaal's young Ajax team, which would go on to win a further Eredivisie title after Rijkaard retired with another two to his name. His last match for Ajax was the 1995 Champions League final victory over Milan. A stunning cameo to end a glittering career.
Martin Keown - Arsenal
A rock at the heart of Arsene Wenger's sides at the start of the last decade, Keown was afforded an Indian summer to a career which took in Aston Villa and Everton between his spells at Arsenal. He was deemed surplus to requirements at Highbury in 1986 before returning in 1993 and helping the club to a glut of honours including three league titles and three FA Cups. Keown formed one of the league's best partnerships with Tony Adams and provided Wenger with the requisite experience to guide younger members of the Arsenal back-line once Adams retired.
Martin Palermo - Boca Juniors
'El Titan' began his career with Estudiantes but came to prominence at La Bombonera between 1997 and 2000, when his scoring record placed him on the wish list of clubs across Europe. A knee ligament injury delayed his eventual arrival on the Old Continent but his stay in Spain was a short, unhappy one, much like fellow Boca legend, Juan Roman Riquelme. Palermo struggled to justify his hefty price tag at Villarreal and was dispatched to Betis and latterly Alaves. Since moving back to Buenos Aires in 2004 though, Palermo's career has undergone a resurgence. He has won three Argentine titles and a Copa Libertadores, among other honours. Also he has become Boca Juniors' all-time top scorer and even merited a place in former team-mate Diego Maradona's Argentina World Cup squad. He even managed a goal, against Greece, surpassing Maradona's record as los Albiceleste's oldest goalscorer.
Rui Costa - Benfica
Rui Costa is currently the director of football at Benfica after hanging up his boots in 2008, aged 36. He began his career with the Eagles in earnest after announcing himself on the global scene as part of Portugal's Golden Generation in 1991. After winning a Portuguese league title, Rui was sold to Fiorentina, with whom he won two Coppa Italia titles and developed a devastating partnership with Gabriel Batistuta. He added a Champions League, a Serie A title and a further Coppa Italia at Milan before returning home in 2006, waiving his rights to earn a €4.6 million salary at his beloved Benfica. He has since used his considerable influence to help the club sign the likes of Javier Saviola, Pablo Aimar and Angel Di Maria.
Zico - Flamengo
The 'White Pele' is back at Fla following coaching stints in Asia and Europe in an advisory role and draws no salary from the club he represented with distiction on two separate occasions. He emerged during the early 70s to lead Flamengo's best-ever team, a side that won five Rio titles, five Brazilian titles, a Copa Libertadores and an Intercontinental Cup. His second spell, after a two year hiatus in Italy with Udinese, earned one Rio title and one national title but Zico failed to add many more appearances to his name. The attacking midfielder was also an integral part of Brazil's 1982 World Cup squad, widely seen as the best international side never to win the cup.
Henrik Larsson - Helsingborg
The Swedish legend embarked on a European odyssey after leaving Helsingborg, for whom he scored 50 times in 56 matches, for Feyenoord in 1993 before etching himself indelibly into Celtic folklore during an astonishing seven-year stay at Parkhead. He had a two-season stay under Rijkaard at Barcelona, with whom he contributed vitally to the 2006 Champions League triumph against Arsenal. He returned to Sweden, with Helsingborg, in 2006 and helped his hometown club to a Swedish Cup triumph. A brief cameo at Manchester United in 2007 gave a UK audience one last glimpse of the forward in his prime. Larsson has since retired from playing duty and is currently coach of Landskrona.