Forget the handbags of Evans and Drogba - how would today's stars measure up to the legendary hardmen of old?

By Simon Mullock

Published 07:02 13/11/09

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Watching - or more accurately laughing at - the likes of Didier Drogba and David Ngog this week got me into a debate in my local about the kind of players who would have been anathema to wimps like the Chelsea and Liverpool strikers – football’s tough guys.

For a couple of hours over a pint or six of Guinness everyone in the pub came up with their own ideas about who was the hardest footballer they had ever seen.

Vinnie Jones was immediately ruled out of the running. Not because he lacked the necessary clout, but because it was generally agreed that there was no way he could ever be classed as a footballer.

Living in Manchester there were plenty of local names thrown into the ring. Quite apt really given that most of the players mentioned would have also made bloody good boxers.

Bryan Robson said one United fan to more than a few sage nods of agreement. Then there was Roy Keane and Eric Cantona. What about Nobby Styles?

A City fan responded with Stuart Pearce. Others leaned towards Gerry Gow or Joe Corrigan.

The one Bolton supporter insisted that 50s full-backs Roy Hartle and Tommy Banks would have kicked their grannies into Row Z. Although, everybody else had to take his word for it.

The merits of the Anfield Iron Tommy Smith were mentioned. And what about Everton’s Duncan Ferguson, who could nut burglars as far as he could head a football?

Bremner, Hunter and Charlton entered the debate at one point – until it was decided that it was impossible to separate anyone who played in that ‘Dirty’ Leeds side of Don Revie.

Chopper Harris and Peter Storey were nominated, as was Patrick Vieira – until it was accepted that any London-based footballer is usually as soft as your average toilet roll.

Even so, there was support for Dave Mackay, probably because he was a Scot.

My favourite, and I have to admit to being a tad biased here, was Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann.

How can anyone be harder than an ex-German paratrooper, prisoner-of war who just happened to win an FA Final whilst playing with a broken neck?

For me, the definition of being a hard player isn’t about kicking seven shades of something out of someone.

It’s about being able to give it and take it in equal measure.

You can count today’s hardmen on the fingers of one hand. Rooney, Terry, Carragher – and now I’m starting to struggle.

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