35. Fernando Torres (Atletico Madrid)
It feels as if he's been around forever, but he's still just twenty-three. Tall, strong, bright, he can lead any line on his own.

34. David Beckham (Real Madrid/Los Angeles Galaxy)
Strip away the hype, and you have a respected leader who provides the most delicious service from wide positions. That alone is worth a few dozen goals a season.

33. Javier Zanetti (Inter)
Again, we're dealing with intangibles here. The Inter skipper is a true leader, selfless and self-sacrificing, who can fill either full-back position or play in midfield. One of the most underrated players of the past decade.

32. Jamie Carragher (Liverpool)
Like a fine wine, he gets better with age. Reads the game exceptionally well and has developed a first-rate tactical awareness. Plus, he'd run through a brick wall for you.

31. Florent Malouda (Lyons)
Put him wide or put him in a diamond and the result is the same: a blend of quality and workrate that make him one of the most sought-after players on the market today.

30. John Terry (Chelsea)
He's what God had in mind when he invented the British centre half. While Terry's strength and courage win him plaudits, he is also an underrated distributor who reads the game very well.

29. Andrea Pirlo (Milan)
Possibly the best free-kick taker of the lot. He single-handedly brought back the role of the deep-lying playmaker. He's the human metronome, the man who dictates his team's rhythym and hardly ever gives the ball away.

28. Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid)
He's a natural-made backbone to any side. Never stops running, wins every 50-50 and distributes the ball efficiently. A central defender's best friend.

27. David Villa (Valencia)
Nobody in La Liga has scored more over the past two seasons. Quick, tricky and with an eye for goal, he will punish any opponent's error.

26. Michael Ballack (Chelsea)
OK, so he had a bad season. But he's big, strong, outstanding in the air and can find the target from anywhere in the final third of the pitch.

25. Dimitar Berbatov (Tottenham Hotspur)
He has the body of a bruiser and the touch of a virtuoso. And he looks like he'll only get better. One of the more athletic big men on this list.

24. Andriy Shevchenko (Chelsea)
Like Ballack, he underachieved last year. But his contribution goes beyond goals (is it just a coincidence that Didier Drogba scored so much in the one season he played alongside the Ukrainian?) and with an injury-free pre-season under his belt, he's worth taking a punt on.

23. Ronaldo (Milan)
Put your fat jokes to one side please. Consider instead the seven goals in twelve starts for Milan after leaving the Bernabeu asylum. Or the 82 goals in 117 starts he notched at Real in the seasons before the move. Now wash your mouth out with soap.

22. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
The nice thing with him is that you can either leave him up on his own and lump balls to him or get him involved in the short-passing game. Either way, he'll tie up entire opposing back fours on his own.

21. Carles Puyol (Barcelona)
A fine defender, but he ranks so high for the intangibles. Puyol is a natural-born leader, a manager's dream, a guy who knows his limits and will leave his innards on the pitch for the club.