Dream XI: Marvin Sordell
It is no secret that Marvin Sordell has had a successful football career.
The London-born striker, who was a Chelsea trialist and Fulham youth graduate, plied this trade with a number of clubs, primarily in the Championship, across a ten-year professional career.
His breakthrough campaign came in 2010-11, netting 12 league goals for Malky Mackay’s Watford side.
In the Championship, he lined up with the likes of Troy Deeney, Danny Drinkwater and Andros Townsend for the Hornets.
Following a second successful season, this time under now-Burnley boss Sean Dyche, Sordell earnt a £3million move to Premier League club Bolton Wanderers.
Despite limited minutes and relegation back to the second-tier for the forward, he earnt the opportunity of a lifetime in the summer of 2012.
Marvin Sordell was selected by Stuart Pearce to represent Team GB’s team at the Olympic Games in London, lining up with the elite of the British game.
Simultaneously, Sordell played for England at under-21 level on 14 occasions.
He terminated his contract with Burton Albion in 2019 and retired from the game for personal reasons.
DREAM XI (FORMER TEAMMATES)
Here, Marvin Sordell picks his dream XI of former teammates and describes why.
Goalkeeper - Jack Butland
Played together for: Team GB and England U21
Marvin said: “He had ridiculous shot-stopping and technical ability”
Sordell chose Jack Butland to play in goal in his dream XI.
The towering 27-year-old is currently in his seventh year with Championship club Stoke City, having joined them during their lengthy spell in the top flight.
Once regarded as a future England No.1, the Bristolian’s career has somewhat stagnated in Staffordshire.
Following the Potters’ relegation from the Premier League in 2018, he has persistently been linked with moves back up to the big time.
However, Butland has remained an ever-present in Michael O’Neill’s side this season.
His statistics have declined since his heyday, picking up just eight clean sheets in 30 matches in 2019/20 with Stoke battling the prospect of relegation.
Right-Back - Kieran Trippier
Played together for: Burnley
Marvin said: “His delivery was one of a kind”
Atletico Madrid star Kieran Trippier is Marvin Sordell’s pick for the right-back role.
A colleague at Burnley, the defender is known for his pace, crossing ability and set-pieces.
Having emerged from Manchester City’s now-illustrious academy, the Mancunian travelled the short distance to Burnley where he began to make a name for himself.
After three years at Turf Moor, Trippier moved on to Tottenham Hotspur in a £3.5m deal. Expected to compete with countryman Kyle Walker at right-back, he struggled for game time at first.
But, following Walker’s switch to Manchester City, he made the position his own and earnt a spot on the flight to Euro 2018 in Russia with England. He will forever be remembered for his pinpoint free-kick against Croatia in a game the Three Lions inevitably lost.
Injuries and defensive errors defined the following season with Spurs and Trippier packed his bags for Atletico Madrid in July 2019 for around £20m.
He assisted Alvaro Morata on his debut and played 19 times before coronavirus halted the campaign.
Centre-Back - Micah Richards
Played together for: Team GB
Marvin said: “A great defender and leader”
Micah Richards takes the first centre-back spot in Marvin Sordell’s dream back-four.
The Birmingham-born defender carved out an impressive career at Manchester City, breaking into the first team under Stuart Pearce in 2005/06.
He was capped 13 times for England between 2006 and 2012 and Pearce picked his former player for Team GB in 2012.
However, as City’s new money helped them bring in star quality from overseas, Richards’ game-time began to dry up.
An unremarkable loan spell at Fiorentina followed before Richards left permanently for Aston Villa in 2015.
During his spell at Villa, he was condemned for his performances as the Villans were relegated from the Premier League for the first time in 2016.
Endless injury struggles and a lack of fitness left Richards with little to no game time for the Midlands giants in the Championship and left a sour taste in the mouths of the Villa faithful.
Richards now works as a television pundit.
Centre-Back - Steven Caulker
Played together for: Team GB and England U21
Marvin said: “A really physically and technically solid defender”
Beside Micah Richards in Sordell’s dream team is Steven Caulker.
The Hounslow-born defender was schooled at Tottenham Hotspur, making 18 appearances for the Lillywhites amongst a series of loan spells.
It was following a fruitful loan at Swansea City that Caulker was selected for Stuart Pearce’s Team GB side in 2012.
After one season back at White Hart Lane, he moved on to newly-promoted Cardiff City.
Despite playing every single minute of their campaign, the Bluebirds couldn’t avoid relegation and returned to the Championship.
Spells on loan at Southampton and Liverpool followed and Caulker later left QPR in 2017.
After six weeks without a club, he teamed up with Dundee but failed to settle. He made 14 appearances before departing during the summer of 2018.
Following a lengthy period out, Caulker moved to Turkey, signing for Alanyaspor where he remains.
Left-Back - Danny Rose
Played together for: Team GB and England U21
Marvin said: “A brilliant one-on-one defender with a lot of tenacity”
Born in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Danny Rose played for Leeds United as a youngster before moving to London with Tottenham in 2007. The full-back found minutes hard to come by as a teenager and eventually spent time on loan with Watford and Peterborough United.
Rose earnt his first England cap in 2016 and represented his nation at Euro 2016. Over the past few seasons, he has suffered with repetitive knee injuries.
He became known for speaking out against racism in football, claiming he would retire early if the abuse continued.
The defender has also been vocal about his battle with depression due to his injuries and other personal issues.
Having failed to totally reinstate himself in Spurs’ starting eleven, Rose left for Newcastle United on loan in January 2020.
Central Midfielder - Aaron Ramsey
Played together for: Team GB
Marvin said: “Technically outstanding”
The first non-Englishman in Marvin Sordell’s line-up, Aaron Ramsey takes his place at the centre of midfield.
The Welshman, who hails from Caerphilly, joined Arsenal from Cardiff City as a 17-year-old and went on to make 262 league appearances over an eleven-year spell with the club.
Bar his first few seasons and his loan spells with Nottingham Forest and boyhood club Cardiff, Ramsey made over 20 league appearances in each season for the Gunners.
In February 2019, it was revealed that Ramsey would join Italian giants Juventus on a free transfer in the summer after Arsenal failed to convince him to sign a new deal.
In April, the Welshman suffered a knee injury which ended his Arsenal career.
In a Juventus shirt, Ramsey has made 15 league appearances and scored his first goal against Hellas Verona on his debut in September.
He has also captained his nation on numerous occasions.
Central Midfielder - Ryan Giggs
Played together for: Team GB
Marvin said: “Not much needs to be said. An absolute legend and outrageously composed”
He’s out of position but Manchester United icon Ryan Giggs could probably do a job literally anywhere.
The legendary winger takes his position beside fellow Welshman Ramsey in midfield.
Born in Cardiff, Giggs moved to Manchester as a six-year-old as his father, Danny, signed for a local rugby side.
The winger originally played for Manchester City at academy level before swapping sky blue for red with neighbours Manchester United.
Breaking through in 1991, aged just 17, Giggs went on to become the Red Devils’ all-time highest appearance maker, playing almost 1000 times in all competitions.
The wide man also played 64 times for Wales and, after spending time coaching at his club, he now manages his national team.
Right Winger - Wilfried Zaha
Played together for: England U21
Marvin said: “The most skilful player I’ve ever come across. I’d back him to beat anybody in the world one-on-one”
On the right of midfield, Marvin Sordell selected Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha.
The winger was born in Abidjan, the capital of the Ivory Coast, but moved to London with his family as a four-year-old.
Joining Palace’s academy at the age of 12, Zaha climbed through the ranks and became a first-team regular.
After an ill-fated spell at Manchester United saw him loaned back to the London side, Zaha rejoined Palace in 2015 where he quickly became considered their most important player.
Zaha has been linked with numerous moves away to the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal but remains a vital cog in Roy Hodgson’s side.
Despite playing in friendlies for England, Zaha switched allegiance to the Ivory Coast where he has made 17 appearances.
Attacking Midfielder - Craig Bellamy
Played together for: Team GB
Marvin said: “A natural leader. Super-experienced with outstanding physical and technical abilities”
Bellamy gets a nod from Marvin Sordell for this XI.
The Welshman impressed as a youngster with Norwich City and Coventry City before forging a remarkable career through short stints with a number of Premier League giants.
The stocky Cardiff-born attacker played for Newcastle and Blackburn before earning a dream move to Liverpool in 2006.
He later appeared for West Ham United and Manchester City before returning to Anfield in his thirties and ending his career in his native Wales with Cardiff.
Bellamy’s best season is probably his sole campaign for Blackburn in 2005/06 in which he scored 13 goals, resulting in his switch to Liverpool.
He also scored 19 times for Wales in a superb 15-year international career.
Retiring in 2014, Bellamy has appeared as a TV pundit and currently manages Anderlecht’s U21 side, working closely with former teammate Vincent Kompany in Belgium.
Left Winger - Raheem Sterling
Played together for: England U21
Marvin said: “Lightning quick and super strong with great feet”
Manchester City star Raheem Sterling is Marvin Sordell’s left-winger in his ultimate team of teammates.
The Jamaican-born winger has slowly become one of England’s greatest modern footballers and is continuing to impress under Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool signed the pacey attacker from Queens Park Rangers’ academy as a 16-year-old and he became a regular under manager Brendan Rodgers.
Despite relative success with the Reds, contract disputes arose and Sterling was accused of forcing a move away from Anfield.
He claimed that his desire to move was not money-driven and he teamed up with Manchester City in a deal worth £44m plus add-ons.
Since playing under Pep Guardiola, the Englishman has become a key player for City and England and has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and three League Cups.
He has also become one of the first names on the team sheet in Gareth Southgate’s England set-up and is widely regarded to be one of the best wide attackers in the world.
Striker - Daniel Sturridge
Played together for: Team GB
Marvin said: “So intelligent, skilful and gifted”
To top off Marvin Sordell’s dream team, Daniel Sturridge heads the attack.
The English forward has had a superb club career albeit with ongoing injury problems.
Born in Birmingham into a footballing family, Sturridge played for Manchester City as a teenager, earning his first professional minutes in 2006/07.
The striker went on to score his first goal for the Citizens the following season and joined Chelsea a few years later.
Following a prolific loan spell at Bolton, Sturridge scored 11 goals for Chelsea the following season but was eventually sold on to Liverpool.
At Anfield, Sturridge created a formidable partnership with Barcelona and Uruguay legend Luis Suárez, scoring 52 goals between them during the 2013/14 season and narrowly missing out on a league title.
Following the South American’s departure, injuries began to take their toll and the emergence of Firmino, Salah and Mane’s remarkable efforts saw Sturridge warming the bench.
A luckless stint on loan at West Brom resulted in further injury and he was eventually offloaded to Turkish club Trabzonspor in 2019.
He impressed in Turkey but is currently without a club.
His contract was terminated and he became embroiled in a betting scandal but, at 30, still has a chance to restore his reputation in England.
With all picks in their prime - where would Marvin Sordell’s (Former Teammates) Dream XI place in today’s Premier League?
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Article by: George Hartley
Formatted by: Samuel Slaney
Thumbnail by: Samuel Slaney
Images interpreted from: Getty Images, Team GB and Watford FC.