This football player played in Spain at one point of his career. He also retired from his international team after heavy critisism before returning to the side a bit later. He is also the all-time leading goalscorer of the team he first started his pro career in. Also, he isn't Lionel Messi. :P

Maradona? Does cocaine stuff count as retirement lol.

@Croatian No, it doesn't, not in my book at least. :P

Well, it seem no one will find this one.

Can you give me a time frame to work with?

Zinedine Zidane

@NovaRuk Zidane didn't officialy return tp France national after his retirement, didn't he? Beside, Zidane only scored 6 for his first club as a pro.

@Raimondo90 He was active somewhere between 1900 and 2020, is that good enough? Ok, ok, let me stop being a cheeky bastard and check for real. He was active somewhere between 1980 and 2005. He had a relatively long career when I think about it.

Henrik Larsson
Claude Makelele
Lilian Thuram

@NovaRuk Good try but no, its none of the above.

Well, well, its seem pretty obvious you guys won't be able to find it on your own.

So here some more hint, this player started his pro career in one of the top 5 league in europe (not spain though).

Cruyff!

@amir_keal Once again, a good try but no. The player I'm talking of actually wasn't an attacking player when you think about. I doubt he ever player as a winger or as a foward anyway.

You sly dog, this is a hard one

Milla? This is incredibly hard lol. I can't remember much names. But Milla was striker though ;(

@raimondo

@Croatian Sadly, thats not him. Still a good try and you weren't completely wrong, both the player I'm thinking of and Milla does share something in common.

Ready to give in guys? Want me to give you the ultimate hint? :)

The hint you need lie with the controversy of the one who, at the beginning of the season, leaded the "tools used with nail" in the "country of the 3 lion".

Edit: By the way, to make this clear, the controversy I'm talking about wasn't in the "country of the 3 lion", it just where he leaded. :P

not an attacking player but he's an all time leading goal scorer :o

I believe you reference West Ham and particularly Slaven Bilic. But I cannot think of a controversy involving someone else that fits the other clues.

Makelele! He fits neatly. If not then Thuram

@raimondo Cough, international career, cough.

@amir No, sorry. Novaruk already tried them by the way. ;)

@Yvan21 Thats right, I was impressed but to be fair, the club in question never managed to keep player long enough to set new record it seem. :P Its not actually such a high number by the way.

Lol I just noticed. Anyways I found an article, funnily he also used the same one because Larsson was there too lol.

I have no clue, more clues? Specific league he started in?