Stanley Matthews: The Genius From England, Winner Of The World's First Ballon D'or

The history of football has never been separated from the emergence of great players. In this regard, Stanley Matthews, becomes a lesson. Talk about the best football of the past, the names Pele and Diego Maradona are not always in the spotlight.

In the UK, there is a genius who is good at ball processing. His enthusiasm for football is not something that is careless. Stanley Matthews, again, is a legend of class players.

In an interview with BBC radio, Matthews told how romantic his true love for football is. He trains with enthusiasm, full of fun, with great dedication. Therefore, it is only natural that his agile legs are able to meet hopes on the field grass.

In his book entitled The Wizard: The Life of Stanley Matthews, Jon Henderson, introduces readers to the figure of Stanley Matthews. The former player, who died in 2000, is described as a persistent, expressive man who always makes the football arena an exhilarating spectacle.

Stanley Matthews, one of the greatest wingers in the history of British football and even the world. He was the first winner of the European best player award, leaving the name Alfredo Di Stefano in second and Raymond Kopa in third.

The British football legend only had a salary of 20 pounds per week when he won the Ballon D'or award.

Until now he holds the record for the longest player to play for England, for 23 years. Matthews still plays for his country until he is 42 years and 104 days old. When he broke into the Northern Ireland goal in October 1956, he became the oldest player to score for England, at the age of 41 years 248 days.

Speed is one of the prominent strengths in Matthews's game. Even German football legend, Franz Beckenbauer, thought Matthews would be difficult to stop and catch while running.

Matthews's individual technical abilities are also above average. Unlike modern football, where footballers get the best nutrition from the club and the national team, Matthews used to rely solely on carrot juice.

According to his daughter, Jean, Matthews only drinks carrot juice during the day and eats a few steaks and salads at night. Jean also made sure that his father always fasted on Mondays. Matthews thinks that fasting will make his body healthier.

Stanley was born in Hanley, February 1, 1915. His father, Jack Matthews, was a professional barber and boxer. He really hoped that Stanley would also pursue a career as a boxer, but the child never obeyed his father's wishes.

In fact, Mattews' career in the world of soccer has been too extraordinary. Most notably, he became the first footballer to be knighted by the British Empire.

This award is clearly not given free of charge. Matthews is considered a form of English football at the time.

Matthews is a footballer with prime physicality. His performance did not decrease significantly until he was 42 years old, always performed consistently, did not smoke and drink alcohol like most footballers at that time. This is of course the fruit of seriousness, including the natural diet narrated by Jean.

Stanley Matthews started his professional career with Stoke in 1932, and with the club he ended his career in 1965. During his tenure with Stoke, Matthews won several titles. One of the most memorable, of course, is when he won the FA Cup with Blackpool in 1953.

At the top of the party, Blackpool managed to win with a score of 4-3 after trailing 3-1 first. Stanley Matthews became a star. He was considered to have performed brilliantly and had a lot of influence in the matches at that time.

Seeing his achievements, Matthews has never even won the English First Division trophy, the highest being to bring Blackpool to runner-up in the 1955/56 season.

English football itself was very close to the 2-3-5 standard. This formation is referred to as the first pattern that creates a balance between defense and attack. But this strategy is not played flexibly.

Matthews was born as a great winger in the 2-3-5 formation period which at that time was almost a cult in English football. In the cult of 2-3-5 at that time, he was placed on the right side of the court, occupying the position as outside right. He played his role as an invader from the right side both at club and national team level.

And at the moment when he won with Blackpool, Joe Smith, who served as manager, also used a 2-3-5 formation.

In that formation he assigned Stanley Matthews in the right outside position to spoil Stan Mortensen who was on the spearhead of his team's attack. When he gets the ball, Matthews will invite his opponent to sprint or bend the ball slightly and send a cross into the area in the opponent's penalty box. That's what he does continuously during the match.

As a result, Stan Mortensen scored three of the four goals that Blackpool scored.

Even though he didn't score in that match, once again, Stanley Matthews was asked to be a star. The final was even dubbed "The Mathews Final". Other nicknames attached to him are "The Wizard of The Dribble" and "The Magician".

Beyond the achievements, accolades, and all the praises that are being chanted, Matthews is an example of true discipline. He is often dubbed the first gentleman of football. This followed during his long career, he had never received a yellow card or a red card.

Pele said Matthews was a player who taught us all how to play ball. More than that, he was even dubbed the expert dribbler.

English football legend Sir Bobby Charlton also said that Matthews would trick all opponents without even trying. He will go through all without pressure, and leave the opponent in a state of confusion.

But when he was given a lot of praise, Matthews was always humble. He is indeed someone who doesn't like to show off. His prowess is only presented in a match. Without wanting to undermine the quality of the opponent, Matthews only needed to run with the ball to then give a win.

Matthews' greatness not only makes it easier for him in a match, but also gives him financial benefits. According to reports, Matthews's attendance at a match will guarantee 10,000 tickets more.

One proof of Matthews' stardom was in England's friendly match against Hungary on November 22, 1953 at Wembley. At that time, about 105,000 spectators packed the most historic stadium.

Well, even though many would like to see Hungarian star Ferenc Puskas in action, Stanley Matthews' existence cannot be ruled out. Despite failing to bring his team to victory, Matthews managed to provide two perfect assistants which Mortensen converted into goals.

In the England national team, Matthews has appeared in 54 matches with a score of 11 goals. He is also the longest player to play with the England National Team with 22 years of service. His last match with the Three Lions was in Copenhagen, when they played in World Cup qualifiers against hosts Denmark.

Stanley Matthews, is like being a star who has never won in a major competition. Even so, Matthews is a football legend. Genius, attitudes, habits, and ways of acting on the field will always be the main highlight of his figure.

Matthews will always be an inspiration for footballers today in maintaining his physical fitness. More adherents, he deserves to be called a role model for world football players.