As you know Icons has a long-standing relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo. We did our first signing with the Portuguese superstar in 2005 when he was only 20 and had just arrived in Manchester. His years with Manchester United were especially successful for him, the team and for Icons as his worldwide popularity grew to almost unprecedented levels.

When he moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 as the world's most expensive ever footballer, Icons were the first and only people to secure a Madrid signing with Cristiano. Since then Cristiano has gone on to establish himself as the greatest goalscorer in world football today, averaging 6 league goals for ever 5 games he's played in over the past two seasons.

This season he has already scored 6 hat tricks and Icons undertook their second Madrid signing with him in February this year. With Real Madrid 10 points clear in La Liga at this moment in time, surely more silverware and accolades are coming his way. Coming into his prime at only 27, and with the Champions League and European Championships to look forward too, where he is the captain of his national team, it seems that this year is destined to be a monumental one for the 2008 World Footballer of the Year.

Check out below some of the photos of Ronaldo signing throughout the past seven years with Icons. Icons are proud to have an on-going long-term relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo, we've seen him grow from his early United days into the global superstar he is today, and this trusting relationship means he only signs for Icons, and no-one else, whatever their websites may say

To view the full Cristiano Ronaldo Icons range click here

As the most decorated player in English football history, Ryan Giggs was an obvious choice for Icons Legend of the Week #5.

In a glittering career that has spanned two decades at the very top; the Manchester United winger-turned-playmaker has won just about every trophy going in club football. I mean talk about staying power, back when Giggs won his first trophy it was known as the Rumbelows Cup.

He turns 38 in November, and he is now entering his 21^st season with Manchester United. Since that League Cup win in 1992, the Welsh Wizard has added 12 Premier League titles, four FA Cups, and two Champions League medals to his bourgeoning CV. Throw in eight Community Shields, three more League Cups and a FIFA Club World Cup and you still haven't covered it.

I could type out a list of all his individual accolades, but I've a train to catch in three hours. He certainly didn't waste any time though, and having made his league debut as a 17-year-old on 2 March 1991 against Everton, he became the first player to win consecutive PFA Young Player of the year awards in 1992 and 1993. Fast forward to 2005 and he was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame. PFA Team of the Year six times, Team of the Decade, Team of the Century. He's even got an OBE.

With his first Young Player of the Year award, Giggs established himself as one of the most prodigious young talents in the country. Coupling maturity and intelligence with terrifying pace and outstanding dribbling ability, it was no coincidence that Giggs' emergence coincided with a new era of Manchester United dominance.

Along with the likes of Eric Cantona, Mark Hughes and Paul Ince, Giggs was integral to Sir Alex Ferguson's 1993/94 league and cup double winning side. He's been a mainstay ever since. Sensational goals have littered his long career, and the stunning mazy dribble, slammed finish and chest-bearing celebration in extra-time of the 1999 FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal remains one of the most memorable goals of recent times.

On 21 May 2008, the night of United's Champions League final triumph over Chelsea in Moscow, Giggs surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton's record of 758 appearances for the Red Devils. He also holds the record for the most Premier League appearances, with 573 so far. With an overall total of 876 club appearances, he will be hoping to reach the 900 mark this season. He has scored 159 goals for United, and was their first player to reach the 100 mark in the Premier League. He has netted in 15 Champions League tournaments too, and became the competition's oldest ever scorer with his strike against Schalke 04 last April at 37 years and 148 days.

Giggs captained England Schoolboys as a youngster, but he is a fiercely proud Welshman, and before retiring from international football on 30 May 2007 he represented his country 64 times, scoring 12 goals. When he made his international bow in 1991, he became Wales' youngest debutant, a record he held for seven years.

Giggs signed a one-year contract extension with Manchester United in February of this year, and he remains a crucial figure in Sir Alex's squad. A true footballing legend who does his talking on the pitch, I don't think anyone would begrudge him another medal or two.

---

We conducted our first signing with Ryan Giggs back in 1999. We've been working together ever since.

"I've worked with the lads at Icons for ten years, and they've always been professional, reliable and 100% genuine." – Ryan Giggs.

 

In the second in a series of guest blogs for Icons, Daniel Colasimone, editor of the excellent Argentina Football World, gets to the root of Argentina's Copa America failure. 

There was little improvement to be noted in Argentina’s second game against Colombia. I had bussed it up to the city of Santa Fe the previous day with my ‘Hand of Pod’ colleague Dan Edwards, not knowing whether we would be allowed into the game or not.

Even accredited journalists are required by tournament organisers to apply for tickets to each game, and we often do not find out whether we’re in or not until the day before – which has caused quite a lot of inconvenience for those of us travelling around for games. Being (relatively) young and (allegedly) reckless, we decided to risk it, and in on every occasion we have ended up with match tickets.    

The Selección once again lacked cohesion against a promising young Colombian team in the atmospheric stadium known as ‘The Elephant’s Graveyard’. Again, Messi probed, the strikers missed chances and Batista switched between his two stock formations. In the end, Argentina were lucky to escape with a 0-0 draw, with Colombia looking more likely to score in the second half.

Notably, the Santa Fe crowd, who had been so supportive to begin with, began to turn on their own team. Messi’s head dropped noticeably as he was well marshalled by the excellent Colombians, especially defensive midfielder Carlos Sanchez.

The roadshow of mediocrity moved on to Cordoba, the blondest city in Argentina due to a high proportion of families with German blood. ‘Che’ Guevara spent most of his childhood there, and perhaps Batista was overwhelmed by a similar revolutionary zeal when he decided to drop Tevez, Lavezzi, Cambiasso and Banega for Agüero, Di Maria, Gago and Higuain and fully embrace the least worst of his two plans, the 4-2-1-3 attacking formation, for the must-win match against Costa Rica.

The renamed and revamped Mario Alberto Kempes stadium proved to be a booming stronghold, with the boisterous locals expressing their support for Argentina, and Messi especially. ‘Messi, we believe in you’ and ‘Messi: They talk a lot, but they know little’ were two of the banners displayed by fans, after the Barcelona man had once again unfairly been allotted much of the blame for Argentina’s shoddy performances so far by certain clueless factions of the local media.

And the little genius repaid the people of Cordoba in kind. He turned in an astounding performance, setting up a dozen gilt-edged goalscoring opportunities for his strikers. If they had not been so wasteful, the game could have finished 8-0. As it was, Argentina won by three clear goals, and qualified for the quarter finals.

Their inability to finish first in Group A meant that instead of staying in Cordoba for the quarter finals, Edwards and I had to roadtrip it back to Santa Fe where Argentina would take on fellow Copa America heavy hitters Uruguay. 

Tomorrow, the final part of Daniel's analysis will offer 5 simple reasons why Argentina failed. You can read Part One here.

 

In the first of a series of guest blogs for Icons, Daniel Colasimone, editor of the excellent Argentina Football World, gets to the root of Argentina's Copa America failure. 

Having travelled around to watch Argentina’s four games in this Copa America the recurring theme surrounding their insipid campaign seems to have been not so much the lack of a game plan but the lack of tactical flexibility required to discover an effective game plan.

Coach Sergio Batista, after a honeymoon period lasting several months, was on the receiving end of heavy criticism from the local press leading into the tournament. Some of it was justified.

Batista failed badly on the man-management side of things, especially regarding the Carlos Tevez affair. After insisting for months that Tevez was surplus to requirements, on the eve of the tournament, Batista did a complete about face and named the Manchester City forward in his squad. He even went so far as to select him in his starting line-up for the opening two games.

Hollow press conferences where he spoke without conveying any actual information and a penchant for posting kitschy pictures on Twitter further estranged Batista from the Argentine media. Going into the tournament, Batista's ideas for the national team did not seem too outrageous at all, at least in my mind. He spoke of exploiting Argentina's greatest asset, Lionel Messi, to his full potential.

He spoke of a Barcelona-style formation, designed to allow Messi to feel most comfortable and to take advantage of Argentina’s abundance of adept passing midfielders and skilful forwards. Batista’s ‘Plan B’, should the Barcelona-cloned 4-3-3 fail to function, would be to switch to a 4-2-1-3, with Messi as enganche (playmaker) behind three forwards. Well and good.

The Selección’s first match was against supposed whipping boys Bolivia in the shiny, roofed La Plata stadium. It’s a newly improved stadium, unique in Argentina that it is not rundown and exposed to the elements, but also in that it lacks much of the atmosphere of most grounds here.

Batista made his first tactical mistake before the match started by, as I’ve already mentioned, shoehorning the people’s choice, Carlos Tevez into the starting XI in place of Angel Di Maria, who had started on the left side of attack in recent friendlies. His midfield three was Javier Mascherano, Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso; all ‘number fives’ ostensibly – defensive midfielders with passing ability – with Messi in the ‘false 9’ role in the centre of the front three.

Cambiasso was curiously the midfielder usually found furthest forward, however, rather than the player expected to combine most with Messi, Banega. It didn’t work, and Argentina looked just as lacking in team fluidity as during last year’s World Cup.

Messi left defenders for dead but found nobody to link up with. Tevez went on solo runs that were easily halted by well-positioned defenders. There was no overriding thought pattern linking everything together.

At half time Batista switched to Plan B, bringing on Di Maria for Cambiasso, but Bolivia had scored within minutes of the restart. Argentina at least looked more dangerous, and eventually levelled through substitute Kun Agüero who volleyed in superbly. Bolivia, however, held on for the draw.

Perhaps Bolivia had come to this Copa America with a newfound resolve? Perhaps they would be the surprise packets of the tournament? We would find out in later group games that it was in fact a very limited Bolivian outfit, further damning Argentina’s performance in retrospect.

A post-match interview with one of the Argentine players may have taken the edge of the freezing polar winds that could be felt in all corners of the Estadio Único, but the mixed zone turned out to be an unregulated zoo. Short of crowd surfing my way to the front, there was no way of getting a word with Mascherano, Agüero and co. 

Stay tuned next week for Parts Two and Three of Daniel's assessment of Argentina's Copa America shambles...

 

As their paths crossed in the Anfield players' car park, Fernando Torres would have been forgiven if he'd gone a little green in the face. For here was his heir apparent bouncing in the door, brimming with confidence; whilst he was to trundle down the M6, a shadow of his former self.

Luis Suarez had big boots to fill. Torres had built a reputation as one of the finest strikers to have worn the Liverpool red: the complete forward. But in recent years, injuries niggled. El Nino looked sullen and detached and for the first time, his attitude was questioned by the Kop.

Fast forward six months and most of the Liverpool fans agree that Henry, Dalglish et al operated shrewdly. Suarez has delighted Kopites with a series of dazzling performance, a tenacity and commitment their forward line had been sorely lacking and a huge injection of South American flair. Whilst he's got a long way to go before he shakes the Kop, the early signs are good.

Before joining Liverpool in the January transfer window of 2011, Suarez's signature was much sought after across the continent. He made his name in the Eredivise in Holland, first with Groningen and then Ajax.

At the Amsterdam Arena, he blossomed into one of the most prolific strikers in Europe. In his third season with the club, he notched an incredible 45 goals in 44 games. He joined the illustrious company of Bergkamp, Cruyff and Van Basten in being scoring over 100 goals for the club and continued in exhilarating fashion for his national side. 

But ironically for someone with such a keen eye for goal, Suarez is not an out an out striker. During the 2010 World Cup, Suarez starred for an impressive Uruguay side that surprised many by making it to the semi final, but he did so as a cog in a triumvirate with Edinson Cavani and Diego Forlan. Cavani led the line, with Suarez and Forlan dropping back to support the midfield, creating as many as they scored.

Indeed, Suarez embodied the combination of hard work, quick thinking and élan that Oscar Tabarez instilled in the side. With Uruguay stuttering in this year's Copa America, it was Suarez who stepped up to the plate, firing them through first the Group Stage and then the semi final. Having been cast as the pantomime villian following his goal-line handball in last year's World Cup Semi Final, Suarez is now being heralded for the guts and winning attitude that drove him to bend the rules.

Liverpool fans will have been watching his performances at the Copa America with great interest. In his short spell with the club, Luis Suarez has been hugely impressive, but his partnership with Andy Carroll has yet to ignite.

Carroll has spent the majority of his Liverpool career on the sidelines, injured. The pair are seen as the figureheads of the Dalglish revolution: young, dynamic, exciting. With the squad undergoing a substantial makeover in the summer, fans will be looking to the pair to quickly repay their large transfer fees.

It's an exciting time to be a Liverpool fan and nobody personifies the buzz about Anfield better than Luis Suarez.

In the second in our series of Legends, we've continued the Best of British theme from our sale. Who else could we have chosen, but Paul Scholes... 

The Premier League has earned its reputation as the world's most entertaining for a number of reasons. There is the speed of play, the energy of the game, the passion of the fans and the commitment of the players. But on technical terms, it's often been regarded as inferior to La Liga and Serie A.

The same things that the league has been praised for, though, have been used to criticise the kind of players the country produces. Occasionally, the mould is broken. Jack Wilshere and Wayne Rooney, in recent years, are England players that wouldn't look out of place in the red of Spain. But before them, there was Paul Scholes.

That's not to say the Oldham schemer didn't embody some of the cherished aspects of our game. In a Manchester United shirt, there were few who have given more to the cause than Scholes. But he combined it with a once in a generation elegance, vision and class that drew praise from other legends of the game.

Sir Bobby Charlton, who many consider to be the greatest United player of all, described Scholes as "in many ways my favourite United player." Xavi Hernandez, arguably the most talented midfielder in the world, said: "In the last 15 to 20 years the best midfielder that I have seen - the most complete - is Scholes. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything."

High praise indeed, but not unwarranted. Scholes started and finished his career at Old Trafford and over the course of 17 years, won every club honour in the game. 

His breathtaking range of passing, clever movement, eye for goal and the general intelligence of his play were instrumental in the helping restore the glory days to Manchester United. Alongside the bite of Roy Keane, the darting runs of Ryan Giggs and the devastating impact of Cristiano Ronaldo, Scholes has been ever present, quietly and graciously earning plaudits.

The toils of the England national side at major tournaments have been frustrating for many, but the retirement of Scholes from the international game at an early age should be a source of chagrin for everyone. 

In an attempt to accommodate both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the midfield, Scholes was shunted out on the left wing by Sven-Goran Eriksson. This 'square pegs in round holes' formula failed (under successive managers) and when Scholes announced his international retirement at only 29 in 2004, many attributed it to this perceived oversight.

When Fabio Capello asked Scholes to reconsider his decision in time for the 2010 World Cup, it was just desserts for the most talented midfielder of his generation. Scholes, though, stuck to his guns; dogged as ever.

He retired after the 2011 Champions League Final defeat to Barcelona after scoring 150 goals in 676 games for United and 14 in 66 for England. Sir Alex Ferguson's search to replace him starts now, but it remains to be seen whether he will ever find anyone to fill the gap left behind by the little ginger kid from Oldham.

 

If there's one thing in the world guaranteed to make you feel like a deadbeat, it's a quick glance at Iker Casillas' CV. It's hard to believe that the man charged with manning the fort for two of the most attacking sides in the world has only just turned 30.

But when most of us were busy stealing traffic cones and dodging seminars, Casillas was busy playing in the 2000 Champions League Final.

Early in his career, he was considered "too short" to be a top 'keeper and "too error prone" to survive as Real's number one. Eleven years after his début, though, the voices of dissent have been well and truly shushed. 

Throughout his twenties, Casillas has grown in stature, adding a commanding air of authority to his recognised shot-stopping ability and agility. In a golden era for Spanish goalkeeping, he's kept the challenges of Pepe Reina and Victor Valdes at bay to hold on to the number one spot since claiming it from Santiago Canizares (who lost it after dropped a bottle of aftershave on his foot) in 2000.

When erstwhile teammate Raul was in and out of the side, Casillas was awarded the national team captaincy and has led his country through the most successful period of their history. 

He captained Spain to victories at Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 to add to the multitude of honours he won at underage level. 

What's perhaps most impressive, though, is that through the fluctuation of his club side's performance, Casillas has remained a rock: the only constant in the neverending soap opera played out in the Bernebeu.

With Madrid, he has made well over 500 appearances. He has won four La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues. Whilst Barcelona have stolen the plaudits at team level, Casillas has continued to rake in the individual honours. He is widely regarded as the best goalkeeper on the planet and whilst he faces stiff competition from the aforementioned Valdes and Gianluigi Buffon, there are few who would argue against the judgement.

For his consistency and brilliance, Iker Casillas is the first Icons Legend of the Week and we're delighted to offer some cut price Casillas memorabilia in our Summer Sale to mark the occasion. Here's a quick summary of his career:

Real Madrid 

Appearances
572 (614 goals conceded)

Honours
La Liga: 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008
Copa Del Rey: 2011
Supercopa de Espana: 2001, 2003, 2008
UEFA Champions League: 2000, 2002
UEFA Super Cup: 2002
Intercontinental Cup: 2002

Spain

Appearances
121 (71 goals conceded)

Honours
UEFA European Championships: 2008
FIFA World Cup: 2010

Individual Awards

Bravo Award: 2000
Don Balón Breakthrough Award: 2000
UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
UEFA Euro Team of the Tournament: 2008
FIFA World XI: 2008, 2009, 2010
FIFA / FIFPro World's Best Goalkeeper: 2008, 2009, 2010
FIFA World Cup Golden Glove: 2010
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 2010

Trivia Corner

As a youngster, Iker Casillas threw his father into a rage after forgetting to post his pools' coupon. Usually, this wouldn't have been a problem, but on the weekend in question, Casillas Snr had predicted the correct scores in all 14 games. The mistake cost the family about £1 million. It's just as well he's gone on to make a few bob himself, isn't it?

It wouldn't be summer without an international tournament and after the relative let down that was the 2010 World Cup, the lense is coming into focus over the continent of South America. The Copa America 2011 is almost here and it promises to be one of the best in living memory.

In the run up to Friday's kick off, we're going to be giving you a daily dose of previews, providing team by team guides. We'll be offering tips and suggestions as to who to watch out for and telling you who we think the Icons of Copa America 2011 are going to be. Today, we start with Group A.

Argentina

 

The history: Alongside Uruguay, Argentina are the most successful team in Copa America history with 14 wins. Their last victory, though, was Ecuador '93 when a side inspired by all time greats Batistuta and Redondo defeated Mexico in the final. Defeated finalists last time out, La Albiceleste will be hoping substance trumps style on the big stage, having flattered to deceive in major tournaments of late.

The star players: Where to start with this current crop? The conveyer belt of Argentinian playmakers has been in overdrive of late... you can take your pick from Icons' own Leo Messi and Kun Aguero (above), Carlos Tevez and Angel Di Maria,  Diego Milito and Javier Pastore.

One to watch: Ever Banega has been pulling up trees in La Liga with Valencia this season. This is a chance for the classy midfielder to make his mark on the international stage.

Impress your mates:The great Fernando Redondo missed Argentina's 1998 finals campaign because he refused to obey coach Daniel Passarella's instructions to cut his hair.

Colombia

 

The history: The Colombians have a surprisingly poor record in the Copa America, despite churning out some of the continent's finest exports over the years. Their sole victory came on home soil in 2001, when they beat Mexico 1-0 in the final. Perhaps one of their most notorious contributions to the tournament's history was when eccentric, goalscoring 'keeper Jorge Campos threw a hilarious hissy fit after scoring an own goal against Venezuela in 1995.

The star players: Since the appointment of Andre Villas Boas as Chelsea boss, Radamel Falcao (above) of Porto has been strongly linked with the London club. Alongside Brazilian Hulk, he has been prolific in front of goal over the past season, firing a record 18 goals in the Europa League.

One to watch: Premier League fans will be interested to see how Wigan's Hugo Rodallega cuts it on the international stage, whilst there has been some clamour for the signature of Udinese defender Cristian Zapata over recent weeks.

Impress your mates: Colombia were involved in the highest scoring draw in World Cup history: a 4-4 tie with the Soviet Union way back in 1962.

Bolivia

 

The history: Bolivia are traditionally one of the weakest of the South American nations and are currently on an unenviable run of not winning a game since 1997. They have, however, lifted the trophy - way back in 1963 and it's no coincidence that their best performances have been on the extreme altitude of home soil. 

The star players: The majority of the Bolivian players ply their trade within the country, meaning outside South America they are something of an unknown quantity. Again, fans of Wigan may recognise the striker Marcelo Martins (above), who played on loan for them last season. Bolivia's highest profile player, he's been on the books of Shakhtar Donetsk since 2008 without really making a breakthrough.

One to watch: As one of the youngest players of the tournament, it might be worth keeping your eye on Juan Carlos Arce.

Impress your mates: In 2007, a physiotherapist admitted prescribing Viagra to the Bolivian national team to help them play at high altitude in the capital of La Paz.

Costa Rica

 

The history: Costa Rica are taking part in their fourth Copa America, having been invited to replace Japan following the earthquake and tsunami tragedies earlier this year. Despite being outsiders, their record is respectable and the Central Americans have twice been quarter finalists.

The star players: ... are all at home. Having competed in the Gold Cup earlier this summer, the squad taken by Ricardo La Volpe is young and experimental, with no household names. Randall Brenes (pictured) is the squad's top scorer with four international goals, but this should be a learning curve for all involved.

One to watch: Take your pick. There are nine uncapped players in the squad and only three have reached double figures for appearances. 

Impress your mates: The worst turnout for a Football World Cup qualifier was recorded in Costa Rica in 2006, when no one at all turned up to watch Costa Rica play Panama in a CONCACAF qualifier.

Don't forget to visit tomorrow to get your Group B Preview. Also, check out our fantastic range of Copa America merchandise, featuring Maradona, Messi, Kaka, Aguero, Suarez and Passarella.

Icons have been conducting exclusive signing sessions with Leo Messi since 2006. The season before Leo had made his debut for Barcelona and at the end of the 05/06 season he was part of the Champions League winning Barcelona squad, but didn't actually play in the Final against Arsenal. Here's a photo from our first signing with Leo, as you can see we've improved our photography skills over the years!

Icons have now done five signings with Leo and seen his meteoric rise to become widely acknowledged as the best player in the world. Here are some of the signing photos from the various sessions we've had with him.

Barcelona April 2008

Barcelona April 2009

Barcelona September 2009

Leo was a little busy in 2010 playing in the World Cup and scoring 47 goals for Barcelona so we were delighted to meet up with him again in May 2011. Amazingly Leo was able to fit a signing session in with Icons in the week leading up to the Champions League Final at Wembley. Despite the chaos caused by the ash cloud we pulled off the signing with the world's number one player, just before he reminded everyone of his talents in the final.

Such is the popularity of Leo we sold out of his signed Barcelona shirts in 17 days. Another record broken by Leo. This is on the back of winning his third Champions League, his fifth La Liga title and becoming the first man to top score in the three consecutive Champions League seasons.

At the end of the 2011 season he had scored 53 goals in only 55 games and seems destined to be crowned World Player of the Year for the third time this December. What a player and what an icon.

Sign up to the icons newsletter to be the first to hear of future signings with Leo. He only signs for us and we know he values the faith Icons had in his talents back in 2006. Long may this successful relationship continue.

Every football fan has a hero, the one player they grew up idolising and that's why so many people love our products when they get them as gifts. When we met Wayne Rooney for our exclusive signing he asked us who we were going to be having signings with in the build up to the World Cup. We mentioned that we'd be doing a signing with the legendary Diego Maradona and asked us for a dedicated shirt.  As we blogged before Diego was more than happy to oblige as he's a big fan of the Man United and England star too.

What links Diego and Wayne?

And so when representatives of Icons met up with Wayne again last week we were pleased to hand over the signed, framed Icons Maradona shirt with a personal dedication to Wayne.

Here's a pleased Rooney with his new present, which he'll hang on his wall, just like all the other football fans in the world who get a piece of memorabilia from their heroes through Icons.