That’s how Johan Cruyff once described Ruud van Nistelrooy. An accurate description, perhaps. But also a humiliating one. At least that’s how Ruud himself perceived it. He had always wanted to be more than ‘just’ a finisher. He repeatedly insisted that he could do more than ‘just’ score goals. Opinions were divided. The debate that ensued perfectly highlighted the remarkable role in soccer of the ‘goalscorer’.

Superficially, soccer is about scoring goals. The man who scores the winning goal is the star of the night. TV-commentators will shout his name. Fans inside the stadium will dedicate their songs to him. His image will grace next morning’s newspapers.

But behind that facade of attention and stardom, there’s something missing. And even the greatest of goalscorers know it. Like Van Nistelrooy, they crave to be seen as more than just a goal poacher. To be valued for more than just tapping a ball over the line.

Football connoisseurs often view goalscorers with a hint of disdain. “Oh, all he can do is finish. He’s not a real footballer.” These experts then proceed to praise the true masters over the ball. The masterminds. The geniuses. The artists. Those, they claim, are the real footballers. That some of the greatest of these ‘artists’ – Cruyff, Socrates – have been denied World Cup glory because of the brutal efficiency of poachers like Gerd Müller and Paolo Rossi, only heightens the loathing many feel for the ‘finisher’.

The conflict between the artist and the finisher is essentially a subset of the eternal struggle between those who love football as an art, and those who primarily look at results. If you’re in the latter category, Van Nistelrooy’s 382 goals leave no room for doubt: he was a brilliant player. For those in the former group – watch the following video and ask yourself if there’s not beauty to be found in many of these wonderful finishes.

But what better way to introduce this man capable of such genius than by a compilation of 10 of his most incredible goals?

This is is just fabulous:

But for the majority of their careers, Zico and Socrates were fierce rivals.

Zico, the great star of Flamengo. A playmaker and goalscorer united in one.

Socrates, the undisputed leader of Corinthians. Always calm, always in control.

In a direct confrontation between these legends, who would come out on top?

Watch and vote.

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But the best player of that team isn’t much talked about anymore. The man who guided Brazil to success wasn’t Pelé or Garrincha. It was the central midfield playmaker Valid Pereira ‘Didi’. Technically gifted, renowned for his skills and his ‘falling leaf’ free kicks, his upright pose gave him a certain aristocratic dignity, reflected in his nickname: The Ethiopian Prince.

The eye-catching figure in the other great team of the 1958 World Cup was the Frenchman Raymond Kopa. Quick and agile, he married dribbling skills to an excellent vision. He’d go on to win the Ballon d’Or that year – and for good reason.

Didi and Kopa met each other on the field during the semi-final of the 1958 World Cup.

So who played better? You decide.

Cast your vote here:
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But what is certain is that Maradona had much of the same agility that allows Messi to slalom past defenders, while also having a large array of tricks – from Zidane-roulettes to Cruyff-turns – that Messi appears to lack (or not need).

Enjoy this great video.

Check it out – and ask yourself how many true free kick specialists there are left in the modern game.

The following fast-paced video illustrates this excellently.