January 10, 2011 -- Updated 1404 GMT (2204 HKT)
Part-timer challenges for best goal
Argentine magician Lionel Messi is among the 10 nominations, as is Dutch wing-wizard Arjen Robben, Brazilian wonder-kid Neymar and French midfield maestro Samir Nasri.
Yet, when the winner of the Puskas award, named after Hungary's legendary striker Ferenc Puskas, is announced at a gala ceremony in Zurich on Monday, all those stellar stars could well be playing second fiddle to a 25-year-old Northern Irishman who still harbors dreams of making a full-time living from the beautiful game.
The contrast in lifestyles could not be more stark for Glentoran striker Matty Burrows.
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While Barcelona superstar Messi regularly displays his skills to 100,000 devoted followers at the Camp Nou, Burrows -- who hails from the town of Bangor in County Down --must impress an average crowd of under 2,000 at Glentoran's Oval ground.
And the likes of Nasri and Robben will never have to worry about Arsenal and Bayern Munich struggling to pay their monthly wages, but it is a common concern for Burrows and his teammates.
Glentoran are currently battling to clear a long-standing debt to the British Revenue and Customs office while Burrows has no other income other than his part-time football career.
Burrows describes himself as an "out-and-out striker, a penalty box forward, in the mould of former England star Michael Owen" -- and his statistics certainly indicate that he knows where the net is.
He has scored 16 goals from 14 starts in the Irish Premier League so far this season, but his injury time winner against rivals Portadown in October is the reason why he will be rubbing shoulders with the world's greatest players at world football's most glamorous awards presentation.
"Although we are not geographical rivals, Glentoran and Portadown don't like each other very much," Burrows told CNN. "It was still 0-0 and, to be honest, I would have been happy with a tap-in from close range."
But what followed was to change Burrows' life. A late Glentoran attack saw a regulation cross floated in from the left.
Burrows, with his back to goal, was first to the ball and -- despite being a good 14 meters out -- managed to generate enough power with an outrageous back- flick of his foot to see the ball loop over the goalkeeper and into the net.
"In training we practice flicks all the time, but this was just instinct," added Burrows. "The ball reached me at a good height and my technique was 100 percent perfect."
A friend of mine went on holiday to New York and my goal was being played on the big screen in Times Square
--Matty Burrows
--Matty Burrows
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Over five million people, three times the population of Northern Ireland alone, have viewed Burrows' strike on YouTube alone as well as the many millions who have watched news reports, or TV football shows, where the goal has been broadcast.
"A friend of mine went on holiday to New York and my goal was being played on the big screen in Times Square," added Burrows disbelievingly.
"I also read that Lionel Messi gave an interview with a German magazine where he was talking about my goal and how much he rated it!"
And, on Monday, Burrows will be able to tell Messi exactly what technique is needed to perform such a skill, when the pair come face-to-face in Switzerland's financial heartland.
"What has happened to me is really amazing," continued Burrows. "I am have been on TV programs, in magazines and have been interviewed loads of times.
"Now I am going to Switzerland, where I will walk on a red carpet to the awards ceremony. FIFA are giving me a chaperone and I'm going to feel like a king. My life has changed completely since I scored the goal."
The goal has also put Glentoran back in the public eye. Although they are one of Northern Ireland's top teams, their players remain part-time.
Situated in the shadow of East Belfast's iconic Harland and Wolff cranes, which stand on the site of the famous shipyard where Titanic -- amongst other famous vessels -- was built, Glentoran are not complete unknowns in world football.
My players are part-timers but ... don't even have other jobs to go to. We live a real hand-to-mouth existence.
--Aubry Ralph, Glentoran chairman
--Aubry Ralph, Glentoran chairman
Sadly for Glentoran chairman Aubry Ralph, the days when the club reached the quarterfinals of the 1973-74 European Cup Winners' Cup are long gone, but he concedes it is nice for one of his players to be in the spotlight once more.
"Because of the seeding system in European competitions, it is unlikely that we will ever play the likes of Benfica and Juventus again," said Ralph -- who will be accompanying Burrows to Zurich. "That's why this is so great for Matty.
"To be honest, Matty is probably the quietest player in the whole squad. He has been with us for three years now and I have hardly heard him say a word in that time! but he is obviously so excited about the ceremony.
"In the last few weeks, he has had two-page magazine spreads about him, a makeover and has been suited and booted for the big day. He was even mentioned at half-time during the Deportivo La Coruna v Barcelona match on Saturday night!
"This is all a world away from his normal routine. My players are part-timers but consider themselves full-time because a lot of them don't even have other jobs to go to.
"We live a real hand-to-mouth existence at our level because money is so tight but the players all pull together and the camaraderie is great amongst them. That is why Monday will be such a special occasion."
The unassuming Burrows isn't even thinking about winning Monday's award, and just being part of the whole FIFA ceremony is amazing enough for him.
But the fact remains that with a top three to be decided from a 10-goal shortlist, he has a near 30 percent of chance of standing next to one of football's top players on the FIFA stage.
"That would be nice, although I might ask Lionel who?" joked Burrows. "But I don't have a job at the moment and my dream is still to play football professionally, whatever happens on Monday."
Maradona claims English interest
Former Argentina coach Diego Maradona says he will fly into England next month for talks with a Premier League club - thought to be Fulham - with a view to becoming their new manager.
GettyImagesDiego Maradona was linked with the Blackburn Rovers job last month following Sam Allardyce's sacking
Maradona has been out of work since leaving his post with Argentina in July, less than a month after guiding them to the World Cup quarter-finals.
Many felt that the South Americans, who had World Player of the Year Lionel Messi spearheading one of the most talented squads at the finals, severely underachieved in South Africa - with the blame generally pointed at Maradona's tactical naivety.
His last game in charge was a 4-0 drubbing by Germany in the last eight, but the Argentina legend, who broke English hearts with his 'Hand of God' goal in the 1986 World Cup, has expressed his desire to try his hand at managing a Premier League side.
"In February I will be travelling to England to listening to a formal proposal from a team from there who wants to talk to me," Maradona said during a trip to Uruguay to visit his daughter.
"If they convince me I might accept the position. I'm not desperate (but) I know that some day I'll be the coach again of some team."
Reports in Argentina suggest that the club in question is Fulham, who Maradona visited as a guest of owner Mohamed Al-Fayed in November.
The speculation will not sit well with current Cottagers boss Mark Hughes, who has been under increasing pressure of late having struggled to stamp his mark on the side since taking over from Roy Hodgson last summer.
Maradona's coaching experience is certainly limited; his spell with the Argentina national team was his first job since ill-fated tenures at Mandiyu de Corrientes and Racing Club came to an end in the mid-90s.
But despite this, he was heavily linked with the Blackburn Rovers job after Sam Allardyce's sacking last month, and also recently expressed his displeasure at not being given the opportunity to take the reins at former club Boca Juniors.
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