Would You Rather Golden Balls or a Heart of Gold?

With constant rumours of infidelity not to mention their behaviour on the pitch, it’s easy to think the worst of all footballers.

From John Terry’s foul that saw him sent off in the Champions League Semi-Final to that Ryan Giggs and Imogen Thomas affair to Jermain Defoe allegedly doing the dirty on Alexandra Burke, the world of football is almost better than a soap opera script.

But the truth is that there are some good players out there whose aims in life at least appear wholesome and admirable.

At Her.ie we made it our mission to find five footballers who we would welcome into our homes any day of the week.

1. David Beckham

We admit we were as disappointed as you to find out about the whole Rebekah Loos scandal but since then, David Beckham really hasn’t put a foot wrong. In fact he has become the ultimate family man. Spending time with his wife and kids seems to be top on his list of priorities. As if that’s not admirable then his dedication to sport certainly is, not only as a footballer but also getting involved in the run-up to the Olympics. We’d sprint towards him any day!

2. Didier Drogba

There isn’t a footballer out there that we can find who does more charity work than soon-to-be former Chelsea frontman Didier Drogba. Using his own personal funds he set up a charity organisation called The Didier Drogba Foundation in 2007 which works to provide support for people in Africa in the areas of health and education. What a sweetheart!

3. Kaká

Known for his strong Christian beliefs and down-to-earth values, Brazilian striker Kaká isn’t a womaniser nor does he drink alcohol. In fact he married his childhood sweetheart back in 2004, to whom he claimed to have lost his virginity. All of his successes in life, both personal and professional, he attributes to God. We honestly didn’t think such a creature existed in the world of football!

4. Lionel Messi

Not only is he the best player in the world, possibly of all time, but he is also an extremely charitable one. Like Drogba, Messi set up his own charitable foundation. The Foundacion Leo Messi helps children and adolescents in disadvantaged and high-risk situations. As if that isn’t enough he is also a UNICEF ambassador. If only he was a few feet taller, he would be the perfect catch!

5. Jamie Redknapp

What we adore most about this particular Redknapp is the fact that he is such a family man. Be it for his wife of almost 15 years or his father Harry Redknapp, Jamie is on hand wherever he is needed. Although we have to admit that our hearts broke a tiny bit when he became unavailable but we won’t hold that against him!

So there you have it, five not-so-single but oh-so-nice footballers that defy the increasingly-negative footballer stereotype. Let’s just hope there are no outstanding gagging orders on any of this lot!