Declan Warrington
Latest articles by Declan Warrington

Ranked! The 10 best goalkeepers of the 21st century
By Declan Warrington published
RANKED! The best glovemen in history prowling six-yard boxes (and beyond) – Declan Warrington picks the top 10 across the last 23 years

6 Premier League signings who bounced back to star in their second season
By Declan Warrington published
Good news for Jadon Sancho and any other big-money transfer who struggled last season: sometimes the second season can be a charm

Games That Changed My Life: Nwankwo Kanu tells FFT the defining matches that made him
By Declan Warrington published
Legendary forward Nwankwo Kanu tells FFT all about his definitive moments in football for Arsenal, Nigeria, Ajax and Portsmouth

Manchester United know they're making a pact with the devil – but just what will success cost?
By Declan Warrington published
Manchester United Declan Warrington says the arrival of the Portuguese manager will take the club away from the values laid down in the era of Sir Alex Ferguson…

5 England managers who made bold calls by dropping big-name players – and where it got them
By Declan Warrington last updated
England After Wayne Rooney was left out of the latest Three Lions squad by Gareth Southgate, Declan Warrington recalls other significant moves made by former bosses

Wayne Rooney: Just what happened to that boy from Euro 2004?
By Declan Warrington published
Wayne Rooney Last week’s BBC documentary on the Manchester United captain served as a poignant reminder of what the soon-to-be 30-year-old once was. Declan Warrington wonders if there could have been even more…

FourFourTwo’s Premier League Team of the Year – if only one player per club could make it
By Declan Warrington last updated
Premier League The official PFA XI was released a fortnight ago, and individual awards have been dished out accordingly. So here’s Declan Warrington with an alternative line-up...

The John Stones debate: what’s really right for a promising – if unpolished – centre-back?
By Declan Warrington last updated
John Stones Few players felt Everton’s dismal 2015/16 quite like the 22-year-old, who suffered at the turn of the year and didn’t recover. But, writes Declan Warrington, there’s only one way to get him back on track – and it shouldn’t involve changing his game...

6 urgent things Gareth Southgate needs to see before the end of the season
By Declan Warrington published
England The England manager doesn't have a settled side only months before Russia 2018 – but the following outcomes to the club season would make his life far easier, says Declan Warrington

Rotation, Rotation, Rotation: Why Mourinho might have caused Chelsea's Champions League failure
By Declan Warrington last updated
Chelsea The Portuguese tactician may have done well to take a leaf from a Chelsea predecessor's book (to a certain extent), writes Declan Warrington...

FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.15, Franco Baresi
By Declan Warrington last updated
FFT 100 Greatest Committed, intelligent and with a thirst for clean sheets, the Italian central defender also set up play from the back with unerring ease

Real Madrid's flawed youth policy could be preventing global domination
By Declan Warrington last updated
Real Madrid Los Blancos have long built their success around a glittering array of stars, but they could have so much more with the right long-term strategy, writes Declan Warrington...

7 brilliant teams pulled apart before they could fulfil their potential
By Declan Warrington last updated
Lists Oh, Ajax... it's coming. It's happened to them before, of course – and these other European club sides who had their best players sold before they could achieve ultimate glory

The curse of being "England's next goalkeeper"
By Declan Warrington last updated
England You're the next big thing, the safest gloves in England... then you get picked for the Three Lions, and your career swan-dives. Declan Warrington investigates the victims - and wonders what might be going wrong...

FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.14, George Best
By Declan Warrington last updated
FFT 100 Greatest Northern Ireland and Manchester United's troubled genius was a dazzling, courageous spectacle in his prime

What exactly is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer getting right at Manchester United?
By Declan Warrington published
Manchester United More than just inspiring confidence, Solskjaer has found a way to overhaul a declining institution, writes Declan Warrington

Meet England's fringe players offering Roy Hodgson a 2016 selection headache
By Declan Warrington published
England Who's hoping to make a name for themself in the next nine months? Declan Warrington investigates the options...

Hodgson will be remembered for wrong reasons, but his successor must not let some good work go to waste
By Declan Warrington published
Roy Hodgson His major tournaments were overwhelming disappointments, writes Declan Warrington, but don’t completely discredit what he leaves for the next man to work with

Why the new generation of England players are better than you think
By Declan Warrington last updated
England Declan Warrington says the Three Lions still lag some way behind world football's powerhouses, but believes the bigger picture is unfolding nicely...

5 things Gareth Southgate must do to take England to the next level
By Declan Warrington published
England Subtle shifts in playing staff, formation and practising what he preached at under-21 level could help England’s manager take his young side further still, writes Declan Warrington

Reverse second season syndrome: The men looking to bounce back this term
By Declan Warrington published
Premier League Declan Warrington picks out five Premier League players keen to impress at the second time of asking...

Arda Turan move just the latest sign that Barcelona are no longer 'more than a club'
By Declan Warrington last updated
Arda Turan Declan Warrington analyses the fallout following the Catalan side's purchase of the Turkish attacker...

Is Wayne Rooney past his peak? 5 players who adapted their game and regained their form
By Declan Warrington published
Wayne Rooney Debate continues to rage around Wayne Rooney's ability, but Declan Warrington can cite several players who adjusted to enjoy prolonged top-level careers

5 troubled Premier League stars who wish they were playing a decade ago
By Declan Warrington published
Premier League No one can choose when they're born, which must be frustrating for footballers who were catapulted into the wrong era. Declan Warrington picks out a handful of such unfortunates
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