There are plenty of great options: Giggs, Scholes, Baresi, Maldini, Facchetti, Puyol, etc.
For me though, the greatest is Francesco Totti. The others above played for clubs who won multiple trophies, and all won the champions league at least once. Aside from a smattering of Coppa Italias and one Scudetto, Totti didn’t win anything with Rome.
For me, it’s easier for a top player to stay at a top club, rather than be a top player like Totti and stay at a club that was rarely considered the best in Serie A. For my money, he is the greatest one-club man of all time.
Who would you choose?
Totti is first to mind.
Yeah, Totti is a good shout. The dude LIVED to play for Roma.
Matt le Tissier is another, said he’d had the offers to leave but would rather be a Southampton legend than some other guy elsewhere.
I know this might not go down well cause it’s boring how good they are and were.
Ronaldo and Messi, man… Come on
It’s crazy how not even one person has mentioned Reus.
Because it’s about one club players
Stevan Gerrad
Messi ??
Paul mcstay
Ricardo Enrique Bochini, played more than 700 games for Independiente and won 4 Libertadores Cup, 2 world clubs cup and 4 league titles in 20 years.
He´'s also a World Cup Winner in 1986.
Totti is probably the greatest Italian player of all time but we won’t know because he stuck with a club several hundred classes beneath him.
Fun fact, he was sold twice - to Sampdoria in the late 90s and to Real Madrid in 2004ish, because the club needed money.
He refused both times, the second time the president thanked him because he had to do what’s right for the club but he didn’t want to sell him.
Totti. No doubt
If we’re talking about a player who stayed with the club through thick and thing who could have moved on but didn’t and didn’t go onto win much then I think you have to thing about someone like -
Matt Le Tissier
From a Scottish point of view maybe John Greig
John Greig CBE[5] (born 11 September 1942) is a Scottish former professional footballer who played as a defender. He spent his entire career with Rangers, as a player, manager and director. Greig was voted “The Greatest Ever Ranger” in 1999 by the club’s supporters,[6] and has been elected to Rangers’ Hall of Fame.
To be manager and director as well, giving your whole career to the same club. Very impressive
Maldini
Bobby Charlton, while he might not have fit the definition as he did play for Preston NE I don’t think one player has defined the soul of one football Club more than Bobby Charlton.
Gabby Agbonlahor by a mile. Duh.