Monaco has had few star players represent them before leaving for pastures new. Which of them will make it into the ultimate XI?
Ligue 1 outfit Monaco are widely regarded as one of the best clubs in the world at developing and improving players.
They also have a reputation for signing potential superstars and later selling them for a huge profit.
A fair few stars of the modern game have turned out for Monaco in the past, including the likes of James Rodriguez, Youri Tielemans, Bernardo Silva, Thierry Henry and more.
And then there are players such as Kylian Mbappe and Layvin Kurzawa who have come out of the Monaco academy.
Of all the stars who have played for the club, who will make it into an ultimate Monaco dream team?
(C)Getty ImagesFabien Barthez | Goalkeeper
The first-choice goalkeeper for the French national team for a long time, Barthez was possibly more known for his stint with Manchester United.
But he played for Monaco before that and made a big impact.
After turning out for the likes of Toulouse and Marseille, Barthez moved to Monaco in 1995, making 189 appearances in all competitions for the club, winning two Ligue 1 and a Trophee des Champions titles.
Characterized by his bald head, Barthez was not a tall goalkeeper, but had good physical ability and amazing reflexes.
He spent five years at Monaco before joining United in 2000.
Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesMaicon | Defender
In the late 2000s, Maicon was praised as "the world's best full-back" for his overwhelming attacking abilities.
He played at Monaco for two years from 2004 to 2006 and made 81 appearances. Although he failed to win a major title at Monaco, he caught the attention of Inter with his fine performances.
Maicon was known for physicality, speed, and stamina to run up and down the right wing. He also had the ability to send in high-precision crosses and had a powerful shot on him.
During his six years at Inter, he won Serie A four times and won the Champions League.
(C)Getty ImagesLilian Thuram | Defender
Legendary French defender Lilian Thuram, who is famous for scoring two spectacular goals in the 1998 France World Cup semi-final against Croatia, was a Monaco youth product.
He became a regular player shortly after making his professional debut in 1991 and made 186 appearances in all competitions before moving to Parma in 1996.
A defender who could play as a right-back and a centre-back with no issues whatsoever, Thuram was one of the best in the world during the '90s and early '00s.
He ended up playing for the likes of Juventus and Barcelona during his career.
With 142 national team caps, he is still holds the record of having made the most appearances for France.
(C)Getty ImagesEric Abidal | Defender
Abidal, one of Barcelona's sextuplet winners of 2008/09 season, also played for Monaco in his youth and made his first-team debut at the age of 21.
He was a bit of a late bloomer, though, and only really established himself as a world-class player after leaving the club, impressing for Lille and Lyon before earning himself a move to Camp Nou.
At Barcelona, he played nearly 200 official games between 2007-2013 and was part of Pep Guardiola's great Barcelona side, winning 16 titles.
He had a liver tumor in 2011 that nearly put him on the verge of retirement, but he made a miraculous comeback and continued playing. In 2013-14, he returned to Monaco for one season.
After retiring in 2014, he held several directorial positions at Barcelona.
