FC Schalke: 10 best players in post-war club history

7. Mike Buskens

There are a lot of ways to judge the worth of a player, but it’s a lot easier for defenders, keepers and forwards. Goals tell the tale, more times than not. If a forward scored the most goals ever for a club, he’s probably the best forward the club ever had.

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But for midfielders like Mike Buskens, it’s not that easy. Like others on this list, Buskens played during some of the best post-war years at FC Schalke, yet he doesn’t have the hard statistical evidence that proves he was one of the best.

What he does have is even more important. He has presence. Lots of it.

Through his first seven seasons with the club, Buskens never appeared less than 27 times. He played in 10 matches in the quest for the UEFA Cup, including both legs against Inter Milan.

In short, Buskens was always there. And when you have a player at any position who is always a presence in such successful times, you can be damn sure that he is doing some special things with the club, and Buskens did.

This is only compiled on by the fact that he returned later in his career and carried on into being a manager. This is a man who loved the badge and thrived wearing it.

Here comes No. 6.