Opinion

The defender's path from Ajax youth system to Manchester United's first-team looks like a simple one, but there was a time it all looked grim

The Portuguese's biggest success has been convincing people that this is the best the Red Devils can do as he returns to where it all began for him

After Real Madrid beat Barcelona to the title on Sunday night, Goal looks at some of the poorest performers from the Primera Division in 2016-17

Read on to see who in JDT stands to lose out with the arrival of Mohammed Ghaddar to the team

The 24-year-old has risen through the youth system to follow in the steps of footballing icons. Now he is ready to take the next step in his career

Goal brings you its selection of the top performers in each position across Europe's big five leagues — do you agree with our choices?

The two English clubs are great rivals anyway but victory for the Dutch outfit would be a boost for the Merseysiders' Champions League hopes

The England front man confirmed his place as the Premier League's top scorer for the second season in a row and Spurs must match his talents

The French coach has led Los Blancos to La Liga for the first time in five years and has four trophies already in less than 18 months in charge

It has been a miserable season for the Blaugrana as they failed to win La Liga and fell well short in Europe. So who is to blame for these failures?

The former Spain striker scored twice for the Rojiblancos on an emotional afternoon in the club's final fixture at their stadium before a summer move

Liverpool secured fourth spot with a 3-0 pummelling of Middlesbrough at Anfield on Sunday to finish 2016/17 the same way they started it - with a bang

The Bianconeri have made history by racking up six successive Scudetti but to become true immortals they must win the Champions League

With the final rounds of the 2016-17 campaign upon us, Goal names and shames the worst performers on show in Italy over the past nine months

The 36-year-old was far from blockbuster, but he was the player managers and his team-mates most appreciated so deservedly bows out as a champion

The Foxes managed to keep of the bulk of their title-winning squad last summer, but it seems unlikely the same will happen this time around

The Portuguese forward scored twice in the rearranged fixture at Celta Vigo, originally scheduled for February 5, as Los Blancos close in on La Liga

The Brazilian, who netted the opener in a 2-0 win over Lazio, has been involved in five goals in his last five games for Juventus - from wing-back

With the Red Devils's No.1 linked with a move away this summer, his deputy again showed at Southampton that he could become a very able replacement

With the 2016-17 campaign drawing to a close, Goal unveils its all-star line-up - let us know your thoughts in the comment box

The Portuguese playmaker has been the creative spark for the Ligue 1 leaders and is now being eyed by the biggest clubs in Europe

Manchester United and Arsenal underachieved in the league, falling way behind their rivals, while the champions completely failed to mount a defence

His playing days came to a premature end and this ex-Leeds United striker is ensuring the next generation are ready for a life in or out of football

The best players drive clubs towards their ambitions, which is exactly what the 24-year-old did in a luminary showing in the Reds's 4-0 victory

The Chelsea manager became the latest Italian to win a major title this season — so what is the secret behind their incredible success?

Zinedine Zidane's side rode their luck as Sevilla missed chances, but took a huge step towards claiming La Liga for the first time since 2011-12

The pair combined in stunning fashion as the Reds hit four unanswered goals past West Ham to take them a step closer to returning to Europe's elite

Dirk Kuyt scored a hat-trick on the final game of the season as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's team clinched a first Eredivisie title in 18 years

Allowing rich teams to effectively sponsor teams in trouble at the bottom would help develop young English talent as well as save crisis clubs