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Emmanuel Petit names Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, Dennis Bergkamp in #One2Eleven

Saturday 21 November 2015 09:03, UK

Graphic
Image: Emmanuel Petit has picked stars such as Dennis Bergkamp and Zinedine Zidane in his #One2Eleven

Emmanuel Petit has picked his #One2Eleven of the players he lined up with throughout his illustrious club and international career.

The bulk of his side comes from the World Cup-winning France side of 1998, with the rest from his time at Arsenal and Barcelona among others.

Don't forget to tune in to The Fantasy Football Club on Friday night when Petit will join Max Rushden and Paul Merson in the studio to talk through his selections and share some more stories from his amazing career.

Watch Petit run through his #One2Eleven here

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Image: Here's the XI Petit has picked. He'll explain his choices on Friday's The Fantasy Football Club

GOALKEEPER - Fabien Barthez

The first of several faces who won the World Cup for France alongside Petit in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000. Barthez also played with Petit for several seasons at Monaco in the 1990s, where they won the Ligue 1 title in 1997, and against him for Manchester United after the midfielder had moved to Chelsea.

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Fabian Barthez celebrates winning the World Cup in 1998
Image: Fabien Barthez celebrates winning the World Cup in 1998

PETIT SAYS: Barthez was the first goalkeeper to play as a modern goalkeeper. He was one of the first to go outside his penalty box and try to play with the central defenders. It was very easy for him with the ball at his feet.

RIGHT-BACK - Lilian Thuram

Another member of France's legendary side at the turn of the millennium, Thuram was another to also play alongside Petit at Monaco. The pair won the Coupe de France together under Arsene Wenger in 1991.

Saint-Denis, FRANCE: (FILES) Picture taken 08 July 1998 at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, north of Paris of French defender Lilian Thuram, who scored
Image: Petit (R) celebrating with Lilian Thuram (top) , Didier Deschamps (L) and Thierry Henry after winning their World Cup semi-final in 1998

PETIT SAYS: He was not the best player with the ball but for me, he was the best defender. You could not pass him. It was impossible. Even if you tried to pass him with two players it was impossible. 

CENTRE-BACK - John Terry

Petit saw Terry emerge from a promising young centre-back into one of the world's finest defenders during his three-year spell at Chelsea between 2001 and 2004. He beats out strong competition from the likes of Tony Adams and Frank Leboeuf for a place in Petit's side.

LONDON - MARCH 25: Francis Jeffers of Arsenal goes head to head with Emmanuel Petit of Chelsea during the FA Cup Quarter Final Replay in March 2003
Image: Petit played with Terry at Chelsea

PETIT SAYS: It was a hard decision for me because I had to decide between Tony Adams, who was a great leader for Arsenal, and Terry, but I've gone for Terry. Terry is still the blood of Chelsea. He's from the academy and he's had quite a remarkable career as captain.

CENTRE-BACK - Marcel Desailly

Yet another member of the great France side, Desailly also played alongside Petit at club level for Chelsea, and against him for many years in Ligue 1 for Nantes and Marseille in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

28 Jun 1998: (L to R) David Trezeguet, Emmanuel Petit and Marcel Desailly of France line up for the National Anthem before the World Cup second round matc
Image: (L to R) David Trezeguet, Petit and Marcel Desailly of France line up before France's World Cup last-16 match in June 1998

PETIT SAYS: For me defenders have to defend properly. They have to be walls. Just like Thuram and Terry, these guys are walls. It doesn't matter if you are Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, if you play against these defenders you will have to be 100 per cent. They have everything you need to be a defender in modern football.

LEFT-BACK - Manuel Amoros

Petit played alongside Amoros for just a year at Monaco in the late 1980s, but the defender left a strong enough impression on him to warrant a place in his #One2Eleven. The pair were also France team-mates from 1990 to 1992.

Referee gives instructions to French player Manuel Amoros (L) during the World Cup match between France and Brazil, on June 21, 1986 in Guadalajara.
Image: Manuel Amoros (L) pictured during the 1986 World Cup match between France and Brazil in Guadalajara

The Fantasy Football Club

PETIT SAYS: Amoros is a guy from Michel Platini's generation. I could have picked Bixente Lizarazu for the career he has had. He was a great left-back but I think Amoros was amazing. For me he was one of the first left-backs to play offensive football.

CENTRE MIDFIELD - Xavi

Another player that Petit played alongside for just a season, the Frenchman was team-mates with Spain midfielder Xavi during his only season at Barcelona in 2000-01.

21 Oct 2000: Guti of Real Madrid takes on Xavi of Barcelona during the Spanish Primera Liga match played at the Nou Camp in Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona wo
Image: Xavi takes on Real Madrid's Guti for Barcelona in El Clasico in May 2000

PETIT SAYS: Guardiola, Redondo and Makelele started to show something else as holding midfield players. It used to be all about fighting and tackling but football changed. It started to change with that type of player in the middle of the midfield. It wasn't all about fighting spirit and winning the ball. Of course they are important but mainly it was about how you control the game and it was done by controlling the ball.

CENTRE MIDFIELD - Rivaldo

Another from Petit's sole season at Barcelona to make the side is the legendary Rivaldo. The Brazilian was also on the losing side as Petit's France won the 1998 World Cup final 3-0, with the midfielder scoring the final goal.

06 Feb 2002: Xavi Alonso of Real Sociedad and Rivaldo of Barcelona in action during the Primera Liga match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad, played at
Image: Rivaldo (C) in action against Real Sociedad's Xabi Alonso in a La Liga match for Barcelona in May 2000

PETIT SAYS: Rivaldo was a free horse on the pitch. We left him. We knew we were playing 11 but every time we entered the pitch we also knew there were 10 players and Rivaldo. It was just like what we did with Zinedine Zidane in France. They are special players. They can change a game in one minute. 

CENTRE MIDFIELD - Zinedine Zidane

Completing Petit's midfield three is another France legend in Zidane, who scored the first two in the World Cup final victory in 1998. Zidane also played alongside Petit in Les Bleus' Euro 2000 victory.

FRANCE - JULY 12: WM FRANCE 98, FINALE Paris; BRASILIEN - FRANKREICH 0:3 (BRA - FRA); FRANKREICH FUSSBALLWELTMEISTER 1998; JUBEL FRA - Torschuetzen Emmanu
Image: Petit and Zidane celebrate after winning the World Cup in 1998

PETIT SAYS: He's one of the greatest. He was born with the ball at his feet. When the doctor delivered him there was a ball there as well. This guy can do whatever he wants in my team. I played with him for 10 years and looked at him and thought he was not playing the same football I was playing. It's just like Messi and Ronaldo. There's what they do and then what the rest of the guys do.

FORWARD - Dennis Bergkamp

Petit played alongside Bergkamp at Arsenal for three years between 1997 and 2000 and helped steer the Gunners to the Premier League and FA Cup Double in 1998.

Dennis Bergkamp (R) and Kanu (L) of Arsenal celebrate with winning goal scorer Petit against West Ham in May 2000
Image: Dennis Bergkamp (R) and Kanu (L) of Arsenal celebrate with winning goalscorer Petit against West Ham in May 2000

PETIT SAYS: As I said before, if you want to win the game you have to control the ball. With Dennis and these other guys the opponents will never see the ball. Technically, what can I say about Dennis!

FORWARD - George Weah

Liberian legend George Weah played alongside Petit for Monaco in Ligue 1 from 1988 to 1992, winning the Coupe de France in 1991 under Wenger.

AJACCIO, FRANCE - APRIL 22: Monaco's Liberian forward George Weah runs with the ball during the French Cup quarterfinal soccer match between Ajaccio and M
Image: George Weah in action for Monaco in 1992

PETIT SAYS: People used to focus on what the Brazilian Ronaldo used to do but Weah did exactly the same before him. I played with him for a couple of years at Monaco. He was so talented because for him, football was a game you played in a street.

FORWARD - Thierry Henry

Petit and Henry played together for a season at Arsenal before the former's departure in 2000 to Barcelona. But it was at international level where they achieved most of their success together, with Henry a regular in 1998 and one of their key components in their Euro 2000 success.

Chelsea's Petit (L) gives chase to Arsenal's Thierry Henry at Stamford Bridge in March 2003
Image: Chelsea's Petit (L) gives chase to Arsenal's Thierry Henry at Stamford Bridge in March 2003

PETIT SAYS: What can you say about Thierry? He has a statue outside the Emirates Stadium. That speaks for itself!

Finally, here is a list of the players that missed out on selection in Petit's #One2Eleven - what a team they could have made…

David Seaman, Carles Puyol, Tony Adams, Laurent Blanc, Bixente Lizarazu, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Didier Deschamps, Phillip Cocu, Luis Enrique, Pep Guardiola, Marc Overmars, Youri Djorkaeff, David Trezeguet, Patrick Kluivert.

Tune in to The Fantasy Football Club from 6pm, Friday on Sky Sports 1 to see much more from Emmanuel Petit live in the studio.

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