Laurent Blanc

THE voice is measured but there can be no doubt about its strength. 'The streets where I lived and played were made of dirt. There were no cars, only bicycles. We were boys of five to age 10. This is where I had to learn to become a winner. I had to build my mentality against bigger boys. The competition, for me, starts as soon as you learn to walk. 'I wanted to win. I lost so many times. I was crying with anger when that happened. But losing is part of life too. We used to play in bare feet. I had cuts and bruises, wounds in my leg, but I never remember complaining. I broke my leg at six years of age and then I broke my arm. But I always wanted to be out in the streets playing football.'

Although nearly all mothers will be the first to tell you how proud they are of their sons, only a select few will claim to have raised a hero professional athlete - or in Judy Murray's case, two. They have played a vital part in promoting the success of an even smaller number of them. This can mean either behind the scenes in the boardroom, such as Adrian Rabiot and Kylian Mbappe's manager mothers, or providing vital emotional assistance.

Franz Beckenbauer died at the age of 78 this week and will be remembered as one of football's all-time great defenders. Fans and Bayern Munich are even planning the German's biggest funeral of all time in the Allianz Arena's 75,000 capacity. Moreover, the Italians, who are best known for their stellar defenses, rated him as the best way to play the game. Jeff Powell of Mail Sport has had the opportunity to watch Beckenbauer and several of his contemporaries play live, as well as compiling his own list.