One-club men: A history of the best transfer-proof stars

At a time of the year when money often trumps loyalty, theScore salutes the one-club men; those who could never be lured away from their club for any price.

Francesco Totti

The year was 1993. A skinny 16-year-old, then unknown to many of AS Roma's rabid supporters, took the pitch for the Giallorossi and never looked back, becoming the club's captain in 1998, and last scoring in September.

Francesco Totti is the epitome of a one-club man. All 25 years of the Italian midfielder's professional career have been spent at Roma, and the No. 10 is without a doubt the Giallorissi's greatest-ever footballer, boasting 250 goals in Serie A.

"When you are a kid in Rome, there are only two possible choices," Totti once said. "But in our family, there was only one possible choice."

At 40 years of age, Totti continues to contribute to Roma, making the odd appearance as a substitute and displaying the genius of an emperor by finding space in key areas. He is the Giallorossi's soul and identity, and, when the day comes for him to hang up his cleats, he will continue to be such.

Rogerio Ceni

Rogerio Ceni's playing career was as one-of-a-kind as they come. A 'keeper who retired with 131 goals to his name, M1TO, as he is affectionately dubbed, refused to be confined by his penalty area, scoring with such frequency that, if it weren't for the gloves on his hands, you'd forget he's a shot-stopper.

But Rogerio's scoring exploits comprise only one chapter of M1TO's story. His loyalty to Sao Paulo is an essential part of the legacy. He represented only one club throughout his 22-year playing career, showing a loyalty that goes against the grain of Brazilian footballers crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

There will never be another 'keeper like Rogerio.

Ryan Giggs

A part of Manchester United since the age of 14, Ryan Giggs was associated with the Red Devils for 29 years when, in September, he left the club to pursue a career in management.

It's hard to imagine what United's history would look like without Giggs. He was part of the Red Devils' squad for 23 years, tallying 168 goals in all competitions and winning 13 Premier League titles, four FA Cup crowns, three League Cup honours, and two Champions League medals. On top of that, he is the club's highest appearance maker, having played 963 times in a red shirt.

United is in Giggs' DNA and vice versa, and his loyalty to the Red Devils is why supporters at Old Trafford rank him above the other legends to have passed through the club.

Paolo Maldini

It's one thing to have more than 1,000 professional matches under your belt, but it's another to do so without once switching allegiances.

The son of Cesare Maldini, Paolo Maldini bowed out with records that will go unmatched, as well as the distinction of spending his entire playing career at AC Milan. What started in 1985, when he debuted for Milan at the interval of a Serie A fixture against Udinese, ended in 2009 - his No. 3 already retired by the Rossoneri.

Maldini collected a total of five European Cup medals and seven Serie A titles while embodying calm, class, and charm, and it's probably for the best that the No. 3 is retired at Milan. It would be a waste of time for anybody to try to emulate what he accomplished in a quarter of a century.

Carles Puyol

One of the greatest centre-halves to ever take the pitch, Carles Puyol was far more than a long-haired linchpin of Barcelona's success after the turn of the millennium.

What Puyol brought to Barcelona is almost impossible to quantify. Six La Liga titles, three Champions League crowns, and two Copa del Rey medals don't tell the full story. Not even close. The native of Catalonia, Spain, was a model of perfection, showing a role-model level of seriousness while also wearing his heart on his sleeve. His tackles were almost always perfect and he brought the ball up the pitch with elegance.

It was a privilege to watch Puyol at the height of his career, and it's impossible to imagine his hair flowing above any shirt without red and blue stripes.