francesco totti, as roma
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Loyalty comes very rare in this age. In football, with the influx of money in the coffers of the biggest European clubs in this 21st century, loyalty, for one, comes at a price. Legendary one-club footballers like Rogerio Ceni (Sao Paulo) and Francesco Totti (AS Roma) can stay assured that not many can take their position in that loyalist list, in recent times.

A tearful farewell was bid to undoubtedly the greatest product in the history of Italian club Roma, Totti, on Sunday May 28. The 40-year-old appeared in a total of 786 appearances for Roma between 1992 and 2017, a club record.

"I grew up playing for Roma and I want to die playing for Roma," remained one of those famous quotes by Totti.

Even Gianluigi Buffon, who is also a legend playing for Juventus, one of AS Roma's arch-rivals, mentioned of Totti: "Some of his goals against me were so wonderful that I would have been ruining a masterpiece had I managed to save them."

Rogerio Ceni, Totti and Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) make it to the list of those special one-club wonders who enjoy an unrivalled position in an unrivalled list of loyalty in football.

We have compiled 11 of the greatest one-club footballers -- both active and retired -- who form an elite starting XI of their own, capable enough to come out strong against any fantasy football side of today.

We very well wanted to include Buffon in the list, but he started out playing for Parma.

Watch out for the unimaginable defence!

Formation: 4-3-2-1.

Goalkeeper: Rogerio Ceni

rogerio ceni
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Status: Retired player

Age: 44

Club: Sao Paulo

Duration: 1992-2015 (senior career)

Total appearances: 1257

Country: Brazil

Right back: Philipp Lahm

philipp lahm
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Status: Retired player

Age: 33

Club: Bayern Munich

Duration: 2002-2017 (senior career)

Total appearances: 652

Country: Germany

Right Central defender: Carles Puyol

carles puyol
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Status: Retired player

Age: 39

Club: FC Barcelona

Duration: 1999-2014 (senior career)

Total appearances: 589

Country: Spain

Left central defender: John Terry

john terry
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Status: Active player

Age: 36

Club: Chelsea FC

Duration: 1998-2017 (senior career)

Total appearances: 691

Country: England

Left back: Paolo Maldini

paolo maldini
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Status: Retired player

Age: 48

Club: FC Barcelona

Duration: 1985-2009 (senior career)

Total appearances: 904

Country: Italy

Right central midfielder: Paul Scholes

paul scholes
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Status: Retired player

Age: 42

Club: Manchester United

Duration: 1993-2013 (senior career)

Total appearances: 702

Country: England

Left central midfielder: Xavi Hernandez

Let's just presume Xavi's move to Qatari side Al Sadd in 2015 was just a marketing gimmick

xavi hernandez
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Status: Active player

Age: 37

Club: FC Barcelona

Duration: 1998-2015 (senior career)

Total appearances: 743

Country: Spain

Central midfielder: Steven Gerrard

steven gerrard
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Status: Retired player

Age: 36

Club: Liverpool FC

Duration: 1998-2015 (senior career)

Total appearances: 701

Country: England

Right attacking midfielder: Lionel Messi

We are just assuming the little magician finishing his decorated career at FC Barcelona

lionel messi, barcelona
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Status: Active player

Age: 29

Club: FC Barcelona

Duration: 2004-present (senior career)

Total appearances: 585 (as on May 29)

Country: Argentina

Left attacking midfielder: Andres Iniesta

Yet again, an assumption

andres iniesta
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Status: Active player

Age: 33

Club: FC Barcelona

Duration: 2002-present (senior career)

Total appearances: 624 (as on May 29)

Country: Spain

Centre-forward: Francesco Totti

francesco totti, as roma
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Status: Retired player

Age: 40

Club: AS Roma

Duration: 1992-2017 (senior career)

Total appearances: 785

Country: Italy