The 10 best football players born on February 5th | OneFootball

There are very few dates on the calendar that have been quite as important to football as February 5th. The day is responsible for the birth of some of the sport's greatest-ever talents. Whether it's coaches or players, some very notable names were born on February 5th. It makes for a real who's-who of stars.

From some of the very best players in the world to solid journeymen, we've taken a look at every footballer born on this day and decided to rank the best 10. While we're only ranking the best players, it's important to shout out Sven-Goran Eriksson who was also born on February 5th. The former England manager had a fine, if not spectacular playing career, but went on to become an incredible coach. He managed teams like the Three Lions, Lazio, Manchester City and Benfica over the years.

Moving onto the 10 best players, though, we looked at a number of different factors as detailed below:

With all that cleared up, let's get started.

10 Jordan Rhodes

05.02.1990

While he doesn't boast the European pedigree or top-flight success that some of the other names on this list have, Jordan Rhodes has had a solid career. During spells with Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers, he grew a reputation for being a prolific goalscorer and was hitting the back of the net at an astonishing rate for several years during the 2010s.

A move to Middlesbrough from Ewood Park in 2016 seemingly sparked the end of his hot streak, as he struggled in the Premier League, before moves to Sheffield Wednesday, Norwich City and a return to Huddersfield failed to turn things around. Last summer, he dropped down to League One for the first time in over a decade and joined Blackpool. Despite turning 34 on February 5, he's currently having his best season in years, and he's scored 15 times in 29 appearances so far for the Tangerines.

9 Adnan Januzaj

05.02.1995

A man that many expected very big things for, Adnan Januzaj hasn't become one of the best players in the world like he initially seemed destined to be when he broke through at Manchester United. He has had a solid career so far, though, playing 50 times for the Red Devils in the Premier League.

He then spent a significant amount of time at Real Sociedad but earned a move to Sevilla in 2022. After initially struggling to break into the side, he's become a regular for the La Liga club this year. Sure, he's not competing for championships like he probably expected early on in his career, but Januzaj has never played outside of top-flight football, so that's something certainly to be proud of.

8 Stefan de Vrij

05.02.1992

Whether it's for club or country, Stefan de Vrij has had a superb career. He's been a key figure for the Netherlands in several major tournaments, and he's been pivotal to Inter Milan's success over the last few years. Time at Feyenoord and Lazio earlier in his career showed the level of defender that the centre-back could be.

His move to Inter in 2018, though, saw him take that next step and become a top-class player in Serie A. De Vrij is set to turn 32 this year, and while that typically means his game should take a step back in the near future, he's still competing at a high level and doesn't look like he's going to be slowing down anytime soon.

05.02.1986

A part of Manchester City's last XI before their takeover, as well as Tottenham Hotspur, Vedran Corluka was a quality defender in the Premier League for several years in the 2000s and early 2010s. He was always a dependable figure at the back and rarely put a foot wrong. After leaving England, he spent nine years at Lokomotiv Moscow.

Corluka was regularly playing European football until he retired in 2021. Whether it was for club or his country, Croatia, he was no stranger to an impressive performance, and it helped make him a useful player in any squad. Having retired in 2021, these days he's an assistant coach for Croatia, giving back to his nation.

05.02.1986

A beloved figure across English football, Billy Sharp earned a reputation in the Championship for his knack for scoring goals. He was a prolific force to be reckoned with in the second division for years, but got a shot in the Premier League after he won promotion to the top flight with Sheffield United in 2019.

While he didn't blow teams away in the Premier League, he was still a solid player who contributed plenty to the Blades. The Englishman has played for the likes of Doncaster Rovers, Southampton, Leeds United and LA Galaxy throughout his career and, these days, finds himself on loan at Hull City. Certainly in his twilight years, Sharp's scored over 250 goals throughout his career.

05.02.1965

One of Romania's greatest ever talents, if not their greatest, Gheorghe Hagi became an icon for his country over the course of a near 20-year career. He played well over 100 times for his country, but also had a fantastic club career too. Playing for some of the world's biggest teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Galatasaray, he won numerous league titles over the years.

The star also finished fourth in Ballon d'Or voting in 1994, not a bad result at all for the star. Retiring in 2001, Hagi played over 750 games throughout his career and scored over 300 goals. Just an incredible record that can only be beaten on this list by some of football's all-time greats.

4 Giovanni van Bronckhorst

05.02.1975

Wherever Giovanni van Bronckhorst went, silverware soon followed. Whether it was his time in Scotland with Rangers, where the Dutch star won a pair of league titles and a pair of Scottish cups, or his tenure in England with Arsenal where he won the Premier League and the FA Cup, or even his spell at Barcelona in Spain, where he won a La Liga title and a Champions League trophy, he's always brought success to his sides.

The soon-to-be 49-year-old had a fantastic career, even reaching the World Cup final with his country and while his time as a manager hasn't been quite as successful, there's no denying his status as one of football's greats.

3 Carlos Tevez

05.02.1984

A controversial, but explosive striker, Carlos Tevez was never too far from the headlines, whether it was for the right reasons or the wrong ones. The Argentine scored goals almost everywhere he went, and sides like West Ham United, Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus all benefitted greatly from his impact on the squad.

The striker was prone to rubbing people the wrong way, though, famously ditching United for their local rivals City in a wild move and becoming one of football's biggest traitors ever. He then also alienated himself from the Etihad faithful when he refused to come off the bench during a Champions League fixture. Still, his hot streak in front of goal made it all worth it.

2 Neymar

05.02.1992

Oh, what could have been. Neymar was supposed to become the greatest footballer in the world when he broke through at Santos. He had the ability and flair to beat just about anyone on the pitch and fans were very excited when he broke through. A move to Barcelona was the necessary step to introduce him to the world and he looked fantastic. It seemed inevitable that he would be Lionel Messi's successor at Camp Nou.

That didn't happen, though, and he decided to move to Paris Saint-Germain and become their focal point. Unfortunately, the Ligue 1 side soon signed Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar wasn't allowed to be the star there either. Still, he has been absolutely incredible throughout his entire career and it's scary to think about just how much better he would have been if he hadn't struggled with several serious injuries over the years. Now on a mammoth wage in the Saudi Pro League, the Brazilian is still in his early 30s but is out of action with a long-term injury. Still, when he's at his best, there are few footballers quite like him.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo

One of the greatest footballers of all time. Cristiano Ronaldo has had an absolutely sensational career, thriving wherever he's gone in the world. Whether it was in Portugal, England, Spain, Italy or even now in Saudia Arabia, he's always found a way to excel and has done so for some of the biggest teams on the planet.

Ronaldo is, simply put, the greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport, but while his abilities on the pitch are all to be marvelled at, it's his longevity that is the most impressive. The star is about to turn 39 years old but is still performing at an exceptionally high level. He's showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon and he's easily the best footballer ever to be born on February 5th.