5 players who would receive Kobe style send off

There’s no doubt that very few athletes in sports receive the type of going away ovation like we saw Kobe Bryant receive on Wednesday night.

Thousands upon thousands of players globally work hard, train hard and push themselves to be the best in soccer. We’ve seen the names over time Pele, Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, Maradona, the list goes on and on. The effect is much more than their dazzling of skill on the field, it’s the effect they had as people. Athletes that were able to bring together millions of people.

Fans would stop everything just to catch a glimpse of Pele doing what he does best. His skill was almost magical and every time he touched the ball you knew something amazing was about to happen.

As we see players today grace the fields across the world, Kobe’s farewell tour in the NBA has sparked intrigue as to who in modern football would deserve an ovation and a thank you for their dedication and service to the game. Here’s the top five modern day players.

Next: 5. Xavi Hernandez