The dream XI of Champions League finalists from English clubs - including Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea stars

Some articles are more difficult to write than others. Sometimes that’s because they carry more emotional or intellectual heft, or require a greater deal of considered nuance. Sometimes they demand that you dig deep into an exhausted repertoire of insight or humour to come up with something that isn’t hackneyed or trite. And sometimes, they present you with a conundrum that all but guarantees that you are going to upset considerable swathes of your readership, no matter which direction you decide to head in.

This is one such article. Trying to tease out a best XI from players who have represented English clubs in Champions League finals is all but impossible. There are simply too many wonderful talents, too many justifiable claims to stake. I have tried my best, but be warned, there are some major omissions here, and some contentious points that I fully anticipate will irk more than a few of you. All I ask is that you don’t shout at me on social media. Cheers.

Petr Cech (Chelsea)

The helmet-sporting Czech is arguably the greatest Premier League goalkeeper of all-time, and while the likes of Peter Schmeichel and Alisson Becker may feel hard done by with his inclusion, it’s difficult to argue too strongly against his credentials. Few have shown the class and consistency that Cech did over the course of his distinguished career.

Gary Neville (Manchester United)

Say what you like about the former Manchester United full-back - argue that he wouldn’t be suited to the modern game or that he is one of the worst managers the 21st century has ever seen - but you can’t dispute how successful a career he had. Neville won just about everything with the Red Devils, and there is a reason why Sir Alex Ferguson kept faith in him for as long as he did.

Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)

The first properly controversial call of this article, I feel. Nobody would have batted an eyelid if I’d thrown in John Terry or Rio Ferdinand, but I’ve opted for Van Dijk for a couple of reasons. Firstly, you got to keep those Scousers on side, man. And secondly, the impact that the Dutchman had on Jurgen Klopp’s team, and the manner in which his arrival helped to facilitate their rise from also-rans to perpetual silverware contenders cannot be understated. A colossus who deserves his credit.

Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)

I always really, really liked Nemanja Vidic. With his granite will and his shock absorbent frontal lobe, he was a proper old school hard man centre-half whose no-nonsense, blood and guts style of play will never go out of fashion. In my mind’s eye, when I picture the grizzled Serbian, I either see him covered in claret with a bandage round his forehead, or holding a trophy aloft in pure exaltation - sometimes both at the same time. He has to be in this team.

Ashley Cole (Arsenal/Chelsea)

Arguably the best left-back of his generation, Cole is an absolute shoe-in here. Whether it was on the front foot or in one-on-one defensive duels, the England international was a omnipresent, omnipotent force, and played in finals for both Arsenal and Chelsea. Not much more to say, really - Cole was so good that any kind of debate is moot.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

Maybe the best player in this team of best players. Ronaldo, in case you didn’t know, is a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, and will likely go down in history as one of the top five (some would argue top one) talents to have ever graced the game. Love him or loathe him, there is no getting away from the fact that CR7 is a goliath of the sport and a presence that transcends the usual boundaries of what a footballer can and should be. He would go on to achieve the greater successes of his career after he left Old Trafford, but United were still fortunate to have him.

Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)

Another point of potential contention. (Perhaps people just don’t like Liverpool players.) It has become a rote conversation to debate the virtues of Gerrard in relation to his England teammates Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes, but for my money, he was the most well-rounded and versatile of the trio. Yes, he could have won more had he left Anfield at any point, but the fact that he won the amount he did in a team that was so often overtly average is a testament to the qualities of the man himself.

Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)

Sometimes it can be hard to fully appreciate something until it is gone and you have had time to properly look back over its impact. Kevin de Bruyne’s career may be one such thing. Nobody disputes how magnificently gifted the Belgian is, but its hard to shake the feeling that his legend will only grow and grow in years to come. For now, however, he is deserving of his place in this team, and that will be doubly the case if he can help City to a first ever Champions League on Saturday night.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

You could take nearly everything I’ve said about De Bruyne above and apply it Mohamed Salah. The Egyptian King will surely go down in history as one of the greatest Liverpool players of all-time, and much like Van Dijk, the role he played in helping the Reds to become what they have in recent years should not be disregarded lightly. A driving, darting winger who scores goals with the frequency of a lethal centre forward, Salah has helped to redefine what a wide attacker can be.

Thierry Henry (Arsenal)

The essence of cool himself, Henry might be the greatest Premier League player ever. I’m not saying he is, but he damn well might be. Anything that the Frenchman couldn’t do with a ball at his feet probably wasn’t worth doing anyways. With his touch like a velveteen nightgown and his burst of pace like a souped up drag racer, Thierry could cause all sorts of beautiful, ruthless havoc, seemingly on a whim. A very, very special talent.

Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)

Wayne Rooney doesn’t get the respect he deserves. There, I said it. Because of the manner in which his career slowly fizzled out, and maybe because of the circus that surrounded him ever since he erupted onto the scene as a pimple-faced schoolboy, there is a tendency to forget just how good he was when he was at his peak. The Manchester United forward could everything - like, literally everything - better than most. Shooting, passing, ball-carrying, reading the game; it all came so naturally to him, and on his day, he was as formidable as anybody in world football.