And the Premiership’s greatest player is…
On Monday I asked everyone who they thought was the Premiership’s greatest player ever.
There were plenty of varied responses, but the votes centered around a handful of players (I’ve listed them below). Some very interesting observations were made as well – one of the key ones being that any such list is ’striker-heavy’ because we tend to under-rate defensive players.
I’ve discussed the top candidates below, before presenting my pick at the end of the article.
Candidates
- Ryan Giggs: Most popular pick of the lot, with the nominations skewed perhaps by the man-utd heavy readership of SL. The most decorated player in the Premiership and one who had a hand in winning all 9 Premiership titles.
- Thierry Henry: They may not love him as much at the Emirates as they did last summer but Henry’s awesome form in the last 5-6 years in the Premiership has been nothing short of world-class. Directly responsible for two of Arsenal’s 3 titles in the Premiership.
- Peter Schmeichel: The great Dane has been a popular choice in the thread listed above – and is one of two defensive players to be listed here.
- Roy Keane: In terms of psychological impact its hard to look beyond Keano.
- Alan Shearer: In terms of positive impact towards his team’s fortunes Shearer is up there with the best.
- Gianfranco Zola: A Chelsea legend and…well, definitely a great player but how does he rack up against Keano and Giggs?
- Mathew Le Tissier: For his loyalty to Southampton and his spectacular goals.
- Dennis Bergkamp: For his impact on the Arsenal revolution and his sheer class.
- Patrick Vieira: The only genuine rival Roy Keane had in terms of best central midfielder
- Tony Adams: Along with Bruce, Pallister and Campbell, one of the few defenders mentioned.
- Steven Gerrard / Frank Lampard: The duo were inevitably mentioned and they definitely deserve a shout but I think their contributions can be better judged in a couple of years’ of time.
So who’s it going to be?
The criteria I set was this:
The greatest Premiership player ever would be that player who had the most positive impact on his team’s fortunes over an extended period of time, in the Premiership.
It’s almost impossible to choose from the list above – even if you whittled it down based on longevity and consistency, you’d still be left with the likes of Giggs, Keane, Bergkamp, Henry, Le Tissier, Shearer, and Vieira (and even then it feels criminal to ignore Adams and Zola, not to mention Neville, Schmeichel or Scholes).
The Premiership’s greatest player
Roy Keane.
It’s a tough choice – you have so many great players who have played around a decade in the Premiership and are legends in their own rights.
I picked Keane because of two reasons.
One, in hindsight it is difficult to see if Manchester United would have dominated the Premiership the way they did without Roy Keane. Giggsy won all 9, but as a United fan I can’t seem to imagine a 90’s or even a 00’s United team without Keano.
Two, Keano was the name I had in mind when I started the debate on Monday – and in a decision where there’s no right choice, I went with my gut instincts.
It’s impossible to pick the greatest player out of a list that includes Bergkamp, Henry, Shearer, Vieira, Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Schmeichel. All are top players and arguably one of best in their positions.
But if we’re talking about the Premiership, with all its warts and flaws and brilliance, there’s no other player who is more suited to be the face of the Premiership than Roy Keane. Other players might be more skilled, some may have gotten more goals, but Keano ruled the roost from the moment he stepped on the pitch till the second he walked off it.
Few players get the respect Zola, Shearer, Bergkamp and Keano got from their fans.
So let me know what you guys think, but mind you, there’s no right answer here.
Man Utd bias, yes. There, I said it before you guys had to.
I cant see how anyone that deliberately sets out to end another players career can be named the best ever in the premiership?
1. Thierry Henry
2. Eric Cantona
3. Denis Bergkamp
4. Alan Shearer
5. Gianfranco Zola
6. Marco Boogers
(Alright the last one was a joke)
palacefan no bias… ian wright……!@!
Henry, in terms of skill and class. Compared to him, Keane has no chance.
Thierry Henry
Eric Cantona
Gianfranco Zola
Dennis Bergkamp
Roy Keane
Alan Sherear
Ryan Giggs
Patrick Viera
Ian Wright
Tony Adams
That is the Top 10 PLayers to have ever had the Premier League crest on the their sleeve.
Bilal….. Spot On.
i think kyle-gunner-socceroo has got the 10 top players there dead on
SCHOLES halcyon power inside him
As a Saints fan I’m going to be a bit biased to the legend that is ‘LeGod’. Ahmed was spot on by mentioning his spectacular goals and total loyalty to the Saints, but although I still don’t rate him as the number one player ever in the Prem, I am wondering if he never gets a vote due to the fact that the Saints never won anything during his time there? Don’t forget that the fact that he (pretty much) single handed kept the Saints in the Prem – that in itself is as hard as winning a trophy!
He was easily the best player and on his way to being the second best manager ever after SAF…dare I say he may become better?
This is a great question and fortunately you can create a good list just from the confines of Old Trafford. Inmy opinion that player would be RYAN GIGGS. Top level WORLD CLASS performance over a prolonged period is my criteria. Playing a key and vital role on 9 Prem winning sides as well as numerous FA Cups speaks for itself. Creative brilliance, pace, agility, lethal left foot, passing ability, longevity and above all, consistency. He should be regarded as the poster boy for the British game. An exceptional talent.
My top ten are as follows;
1. RYAN GIGGS
2. PETER SCHMEICHEL
3. THIERRY HENRY
4. ROY KEANE
5. ALAN SHEARER
6. ERIC CANTONA (NUMBER ONE IF NOT RETIRED SO EARLY)
7. DAVID BECKHAM
8. DENIS BERGKAMP
9. MATTHEW LeTISSIER
10. RUUD van NISTELROOY
becks and shearer
Its got to be Cantona.
Or David James, just kidding.
henry. Skill, pace, strength and world class finshing
Much though i love LeTissier as a saints fan, i think that Giggs and Keane are superior, esp. Giggs who has fantastic loyalty and skill, and crucially a cabinet full of Premiership trophies
Thierry Henry
Eric Cantona
Gianfranco Zola
Dennis Bergkamp
Roy Keane
Alan Sherear
Ryan Giggs
Patrick Viera
Ian Wright
Tony Adams
That is the Top 10 PLayers to have ever had the Premier League crest on the their sleeve.
Without a doubt they are the top 10 to play in the Premier League.
Ahmad what a bout a Premier League XI?
Eric Cantona!
Typical man u crap. Like someone said, someone who deliberately went for rash challenges and was unapologetic about it afterwards is the best player. And they used to complain so much about henry and his diving antics and his ethics. You should add a tagline for this site, something like manchestersyco’fans’ united………
1) I didn’t select Keano on ethics, but on impact.
2) As I said in the article, the decision comes down to personal bias because there’s no ‘factual’ way to pick one ‘greatest’ player (using the criteria i specified) out of the list.
No argument from me that Keane has had the greatest impact on the premiership and as a United fan that wont be surprising. Only Viera and Gerard seem to have had that knack of driving the entire team on.
Still, twas interesting to have Keane pilloried for his slight over enthusiasm in the tackle and not a word about Mr Shearers Tysonesque on pitch antics. Ho hum, stand up if you hate……ach, you know the rest.
I’m no Andy Cole fan, but surely someone is willing to plead his case. He has scored a bucketload of goals.
Thierry Henry
Beckham
Giggs
Cantona
Viera
Shearer
Wright
Adams
Zola
Bergkemp
yo u know look how many man u playerz der r
u know man u da best keane is some sickman and so is all da other man u playerz
henry is by far the best. how can keane be seen as the better player when henry won 2 pfa awards, football writers player of the year on a number of occasions, top three of the worlds best three years running, numorous golden boots, and had so many assists(probably could have played in defence as well). The only reason keane is remembered is because he was a loudmouth who was never scared of a tackle, and why should this be seen as making him the best.
1.henry
2.Cantona
3.Shearer
4.Scholes
5.giggs
6.viera
7.Gerrard
8.zola
9.Schmeichel
10.pires
Shearer! all the way, most goals and in a shit team(im an nufc fan too!) no1 could have scored that amount of goals in such a rubbish team including cantona henry andy cole ruud van nistelrooy.
And the loyalty was there far too much, i just wished for his career he had of signed for man utd, cause they would have won more trophies than they did.
But as he said, his dream wasn’t to win trophies but to wear that famous black and white shirt boasting the number 9!!!
shearer and this is why;
http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/alan+shearer/video/x20oa5_local-heroalan-shearer_sport
Those mentioning David Beckham better vote on polls on the MLS which is gud enof for him.
Thierry Henry
Gianfranco Zola
Dennis Bergkamp
Eric Cantona
Roy Keane
Top 5 by far!!!!
Wonderful piece to argue about,i must say. I am not a premiership fan though an ardent viewer of of the english game and in my own candid opinion,Thierry Henry deserves to be regarded to as premiership’s greatest ever player. My top 10:
thierry HENRY
ryan GIGGS
alan SHEARER
gianfranco ZOLA
eric CANTONA
tony ADAMS
roy KEANE
patrick VIEIRA
dennis BERGKAMP
andy COLE
I think Henry would win this one. He deserves it too!
People like Giggs, Scholes, Gerrard, Cantona, Keane, Shearer, Zola, Vieria, Bergkamp, Ginola would make the top 10 in my eyes!
1. Ali Dia
2. Benjani
3. Darius Vassell
4. Boumsong
5. Titus Bramble
6. Nigel Quashie
7. Adi Akinbiyi
8. Michael Duburry
9. Massimo Taibi
10.Paolo Wanchope
I’ll base mine not only on skill but on impact on the prem league.
1.Bergkamp
2.Keane
3.Zola
4.Cantona
5.Giggs
6.Schmeicheal
7.Viera
8.Henry
9.Shearer
10.Beckham
I picked bergkamp coz the so-called arsenal style of play is and was originally the style of play that bergkamp had. Wenger created the team around him, he was wenger’s greatest buy, better then henry’s and viera’s. Yes I’m an Arsenal fan so i hope my reason is good enough 4 ppl to agree. I doubt I’ve been too biast
1. Keane
2. Giggs
3. Schmeicheal
4. A. Cole
5. Beckham
6. Rooney
7. Ronaldo
8. Scholes
9. Solskjaer
10. G. Neville
Ok…so my list is all Man Utd. So freaking what.
Roy Keane by a country mile… players like henry decide how championships are won, players like roy kean decide hu wins them…
I think C. Ronaldo has already bought himself into this list and will invevitably end up at the top as early as the end of 2008/09 season:
1. Roy Keane
2. Thierry Henry
3. Ryan Giggs
4. Peter Schmeichel
5. Eric Cantona
6. Alan Shearer
7. Paul Scholes
8. Cristiano Ronaldo
9. Gianfranco Zola
10. Steven Gerrard
1.HENRY
2.VIEIRA
3.GIGGS
4.BERGKAMP
5.SHEARER
6.WRIGHT
7.PIRES
8.SCHMEICHEL
9.ADAMS
10.ZOLA
TOP 10: Talentwise..(who could do more with the ball)
1)thierry
2)Cantona
3)Scholes
4)Giggs
5)gerrard
6)Beckham
7)Zola
8)Bergkamp
9)Cristiano
10)Shearer
top 10…just on impact and effectiveness and irreplacability
1)KEANE (lifted the whole team, got man u many results, best leader ever like a midfield general)
2)Cantona (an artist)
3)Shearer
4)Vieira
5)Henry
6)Schmechel
7)Gerrard
8)Le Tissier
9)Zola (still cant replace him!)
10)Cristiano ronaldo (how can you replace 41 goals?)
Ahmed Bilal must be either a fairweather or he must have started watching football in 2003.
How was Eric Cantona not even included in the candidates, let alone been named the greatest? He was better than any other player, and even an Arsenal fan would agree with me. And which brilliant players has he included in the cnadidates instead…Gerrard and Lampard? They’re not even among the best today! You may as well include Ali Dia and Marco Boogers on the list!
A better list would look like this:
1) Eric Cantona
Ryan Giggs
2) Alan Shearer
3) Roy Keane
4) Dennis Bergkamp
5) Gianfranco Zola
6) Peter Schmeichel
7) Thierry Henry
9) Matt Le Tissier
10) Patrick Vieira
1.John Barnes (yes I’m a Liverpool fan! but not even Henry could touch him- Forget Keane and Shearer they relied on others Barnes needed nobody!)
2.Thierry Henry
3.Steven Gerrard
4.Dennis Bergkamp
5.Gianfranco Zola
6.Paul Gasgoine
7.Ryan Giggs (yes i can admit it as much as it hurts)
8.Paul Scholes (yes i can admit it as much as it hurts)
9.Peter Schmeichel (yes i can admit it as much as it hurts)
10.David Beckham(yes i can admit it as much as it hurts)
this is my best 10 ever….
1.eric cantona..i’m a liverpool fan..
2.steven gerrard
3.thiery henry
4.david ginola
5.ryan giggs
6.peter schmeichel
7.alan shearer
8.jamie carragher
9.gianfranco zola
10.dennis bergkamp.
any comments???
Ali Dia, the famous cousin of George Weah
re:Joshua voo>
how can u put Ginola and Carragher in a list but leave out Keano and Viera.
Top 30 Premiership Players of All Time——–(from The Four Four Two Article by Stephen Thanabalan 2006)
The selection is based on success, impact, appearances, statistics, goals, assists, overall ratings, man of match and player of month and year awards, and critic’s opinions.
1. Ryan Giggs (Manchester United)
Longevity, with a loyalty to club football rarely seen, here is a player who graced every season of the Premiership so far with his phenomenal balance, pace, skill and dribbling ability. Holds the record for most goal assists in the Premiership and most appearances, as well as having played and scored in every single premiership season from the time he was the prodigious PFA Young Player of the year twice in a row till he is a veteran captain now, having won the most number of premiership titles. (1990/91 – current)
2. Alan Shearer
The greatest goal scorer in Premiership history, he represented more than just the goals of Newcastle, Blackburn and Southampton, Shearer was the consummate traditional centre forward, staying on top of his game in a time when foreign talents came to the British game to change the competitive levels in the game. Shearer became the most expensive transfer in 1996 but his talent and level headedness (and one handed salute) and raw combative ability never faded. The deadliest finisher in the Premiership on any day, even when close to retirement. (1991/92 – 2005/06)
3. Dennis Bergkamp
Dominance, skills, exceptional good behaviour and first touch ball control, the Dutch wonder scored breathtaking goals, had impeccable touch and galvanised an Arsenal side that signified the Wenger revolution from 1996 to 2006. The classiest premiership player in history by far. (1995/96-2005/06)
4. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Skills, Goals, Flair, Phenomenal Ability and the main man part of the invincible Arsenal side of the early 2000s. Some of his footballing prowess will go down in history as the greatest to have every graced the game. (1999/00 – 2006/07)
5. Eric Cantona (Manchester United)
French Flamboyance, showmanship, skill, vision and flair that saw him herald the start of United’s dominance as a talismanic influence, capturing the imagination of the nation within a 4 year short spanning career. ‘Kung Fu’ kicks, violence and red cards aside, he scored some of the most important goals, and arguably won the title double for the fledgling United side of the mid 1990s, before retiring as ‘the King’. (1991/92 – 1996/97)
6. Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea)
The tiny Italian wonder was nominated for PFA Player of the Year within 4 months of arriving in the Premiership in 1996/97 and went on to epitomise the foreign revolution that saw Chelsea rise from mid table mediocrity to top Premiership side under Gullit, Vialli, Ranieri and into the Abramovich era. Was the key man of the Chelsea side that became a top side in European cup competitions. (1996/97 – 2003/04)
7. Peter Schmeichel (Manchester United, Manchester City)
The greatest Premiership goalkeeper of the first decade of the tournament as voted by the TEN SEASONS awards deserves a magnificent 7 finish here. Records are still held by this great Dane for most clean sheets in a season, Save of the Decade, Most Consecutive appearances per games ratio, and till this day, even less memorable stints with Manchester City could not taint the reputation of one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, not just in the Premiership. (1992/93 – 2004/05)
8. Frank Lampard (West Ham, Chelsea) & Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
Joint 8th place for two English midfielders who characterised the hard work and battling qualities needed to complement flair and style that became the mainstay of the Premiership in the 2000s. Lampard was the linchpin and only prominent domestic talent of the Chelsea title winning sides of the mid 2000s. Gerrard, similarly remained the sole domestic force majeure in a Liverpool side on the resurgence in the mid 2000s, and even before then, was a midfield dynamo with stunning goals, tackling abiities and visionary passing skills. Two players representing the best of British in the 2000s, who still could go on to set more records and win more titles. (1997/98 – current)
9. David Beckham (Manchester United)
Characterised the fame superhighway for a Premiership footballer from the glory and boom years of the mid 90s to the current heights of stardom and giddy saturation, Beckham will forever be remembered in Premiership history as the most photographed, most talked about, most iconic and well, his football was at times, sheer genius too. The best free kick taker and set piece specialist in Premiership history, Beckham’s eye for the dead ball and for crosses sees him ranked 2nd in all time Premiership goal assists even having left the league in 2003, on top of the fact that he was the poster boy for the game, captained England, and won the treble and 6 titles whilst at United.
(1993/94 – 2002/03)
10. Roy Keane (Nottingham Forest & Manchester United) & Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
The classic combative midfielders (who often tussled with each other), were emblematic of the Manchester United- Arsenal rivalry of the mid-late 90s and early 2000s. For a decade, the two were the key combative tacklers and midfield generals of their sides, perhaps more so Keano than Patrick, but their sheer brute force, ‘never say die’ attitudes and defensively astute footballing brains saw them captain their club sides to becoming the football powerhouses both teams were in the league, winning titles alternate from each other every other year. Sure, they had many a fiery tunnel and dressing room moment, but that was what made the game so red hot with their talents and temperaments. (1992/93 – 2004/05 Keane), (1996/97 – 2006/07 Vieira)
11. Matt Le Tissier (Southampton)
Sensationally talented, Le Tiss’ commitment to his club side single handedly was the biggest boost for a club often seen in the relegation dogfights before eventually going down. Scorchers, goals from corners, free kicks, moments of sheer genius (Barry Venison and Peter Beardsley called him ‘Pele’ before) and an eye for goal made Le Tiss one of the stars of not just the south coast, but all of the Premiership as well. Humble, down to earth and with a dogged determination to fight for the cause, a true SAINT.
12. Andrew Cole (Newcastle, Man Utd, Blackburn, Portsmouth) & Teddy Sheringham (Tottenham, West Ham, Porstmouth, etc)
Andrew Cole is the second highest goal scorer in the Premiership and that record was set in stone from the time he scored a record 34 for Newcastle in 1993/94. He was PFA Young Player of the Year and went to Man Utd, copped some fan abuse, but still managed to win it all, before playing for other clubs on his winding down. Oh Teddy Teddy! had much the same story, albeit less illustrious. Played for Spurs to sheer delight, did the job for England and then went to Man Utd to win it all. Conitnued playing in the league for prolonged periods with Tottenham again, West Ham and Portsmouth.
13. Cristiano Ronaldo & Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
“Roo-naldo” are a partnership that swept the Premiership from the moment they became partners under Sir Alex Ferguson at United. Their tremendous ball skills captured the minds of the nation, especially Ronaldo’s, whose showboating and trickery was notable and seen as the new flair of a new generation. When complemented with ex Everton young prodigy (scored against Arsenal on his debut) Rooney, the pair captured the hearts and minds of the Old Trafford faithful, their battles in Euro 2004 and the World Cup 2006 were well documented, but their success at Man Utd, undauntingly magnificent to behold. Ones for the future.
14. Tony Adams (Arsenal) & David Seaman (Arsenal, Manchester City)
Rock of the Arsenal defence for over a decade, Adams and Seaman were the classical central defender and classical goalkeeper. Adams was strong, big, tackled fiercely and had the occasional ability to net a special goal, as he did in 1997/98 with Arsenal’s 4th to seal a win over Everton and claim his first Premiership medal, a title Seaman won as well as reward for all his fine goalkeeping over the years. Adams Captained England, Captained Arsenal and so did Seaman, but most crucial of all was how they adapted to the foreign revolution under Wenger, benefitting largely from it, and we as an audience, did too. Not even a lack of form in his latter days at Manchester City ruined Seaman’s incredible career.
15. Sol Campbell (Tottenham, Porstmouth, etc)
Ask anyone to name a top Premiership team over the past decade and you’d be hard pressed to find Sol Cambell’s name missing from that list. A defender who has effectively grown from boy to man with the league, Campbell is a legendary veteran of the game, and is in the top 15 simply because of consistency and ability to outlast, survive and also deliver ace performances week in and out for his club sides.
16. Gary Neville & Denis Irwin (Manchester United)
No poll can be without two of Manchester United’s long serving veteran defenders, perhaps with time Neville will eclipse Irwin, but until then, the presence of these two hard working, tireless defensive wingbacks are a must in any list, for their commitment to their club’s cause and the success they achieved for it.
17. John Terry (Chelsea) & Rio Ferdinand (West Ham, Leeds, Man Utd)
The same can be said of Ferdinand and Terry, who became key defenders with each of their teams in the premiership, and are widely regarded as the best defenders currently in the league. No nonsense, dogged determination and tireless effort are hallmarks of Terry’s game, and Ferdinand is noted for his strength and ability to improve each year.
18. Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Man Utd, PSV, Real Madrid)
RUUD RUUD RUUD! Such was RVN’s impact on the English game that in just three and a half short seasons in the league, he had become a household name for being top scorer in the league. Sublime control, strength and goalscoring abilities marked this man for success in the physical world of the premiership from the start. His marriage to Man Utd ended in less savoury ways, but the goals he left behind would be remembered for years to come.
19. Robbie Fowler (Liverpool, Leeds, Man City, Blackburn) & Michael Owen
Robbie Fowler and Michael Owen took the Premiership by storm when each of them arrived at different junctures in the 1990s. Both were goal machines and Robbie was the PFA young player of the year twice in a row in the mid 90s in a time where he was arguably the sharpest shooter in the Premiership. If not for the derogatory labelling and on and off the pitch controversies including goal line snorts, dockers’ t-shirts, penalty wave aways, homosexual taunts, sarcastic humour and pranks under the Spice Boys tag, Fowler was and still remains in the hearts of many a Premiership (not just Liverpool) fan just based on his goal scoring performances in the years 1994 to 1997 alone. Owen on the other hand was a much more level headed and composed figured, equally gifted, but with greater pace, his brand of finishing was less clinical but just as deadly. Scorer of many important goals and winners in his time, along with Fowler, they are still widely admired as the most “natural” finishers in the Premiership, and currently still ply their trades at the top level.
20. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Whilst many claim to complain about the over selection of Manchester United players in the top 20, this is inevitable based on statistics, goals, ratings and success levels. Paul Scholes has bagged all of these fundamentals, and his time at Manchester United is notable for longevity, stylish goals from outside the area, cracking volleys, slick footwork and his reinvention from predatory ginger haired striker to creative and incisive midfield dangerman. Retired from International football to good effect and an eye injury nearly ended his career prematurely, but Scholes came back in 2006 with great panache, and continues to peform at his best on the top tier with no difficulty.
21. Nicolas Anelka & Gary Speed
This Bolton duo are selected because of adaptability and consistency in the league, and their uncanny ability to do their jobs in the top tier with remarkable efficacy, regardless of which employer they work with. Currently at Bolton, the duo have a diverse array of clubs in their CV, and have always performed well enough to win games with their contributions. Anelka’s goals won Arsenal the title in 97/98, saw him move to Real Madrid, where he won the European Cup and he moved to Liverpool, and played in Turkey before. Speed’s, whilst less illustrious, was a story of plying his trade for every consecutive season in the Premiership. A Leeds legend, he was also prominent as a midfield man, famed for his adaptability.
22. Dwight Yorke (Aston Villa, Man Utd, Sunderland)
The smiling assasin as he was known, Yorkie was a proven goal scorer in a top 4 Aston Villa side under Brian Little way before he moved to Manchester United and helped form a stunning partnership with Andy Cole to help the side win the treble in 1999. Yorke’s goals over the years have been a vital part of his team’s successes, and his contribution did not end with goals, often credited with hold up play to open up space for his team mates, Yorke also has a high rate of success with his strike partners.
23. Juninho (Middlesbrough)
One of the shortest players in the premiership, Juninho also had one of the shortest stints in the Premiership, but did he shine for the club. Taking the club to new heights of excitement, Juninho was a pocket revolutionary in his time in the Premiership. He brought new Samba and meaning to the word ’skill’ in the early Premiership years and paved the way for many a South American talent to begin the road to English football in the future.
24. Lukas Radebe (Leeds)
One of the stalwarts of the pre-relegation Leeds outfit, Radebe was a shining light of professionalism to the Premiership in his time with Leeds. He made many appearances for the club in defence, and even in goal! A player not often rated, Radebe’s pass completion rate and defensive qualities based on OPTA stats were hugely impressive in a below par Leeds side.
25. Stuart “Psycho” Pearce (Nottingham Forest) & Gary McAllister
Despite becoming player/managers towards the end, both Psycho and GazzaMac were key players in the teams they played for. The teams would look sorely out of sorts whenever they were injured or missed games, and that is the hallmark of a top player. Although probably unfamiliar to many new watchers and fans of the game who are probably more aware of him in his capacity as Man City’s ex coach, Psycho was a key defender in the first 5 seasons of the premiership, often named in PFA Team of the Year squads. Gary Mac had similar plaudits, often called up to the Scottish National squad, and a key player for Leeds, Coventry and Liverpool in his time, where he was famed for a cool head, a keen eye for passes and scored some nifty goals.
26. Paolo DiCanio (Sheff Wed, West Ham, etc)
Scorer of scorching goals and with an eye for flamboyant skills, DiCanio is the weaver of some of the most eye catching moments in the Premiership, and we aren’t talking about his referee pushing sending off incident. Many fans note his super strikes against Wimbledon and so on, and he is remembered for his ability to weave magic even in sides that often faced relegation battles.
27. David Ginola (Newcastle United, Tottenham,etc)
Ginola once came into the Newcastle side and said then when he played football, he was a “butterfly” and everyone else was….he didn’t finish the quote according to Jon Beresford, but that just about summed up the flamboyance, arrogance and self belief that Ginola had as a player. He ran into trouble with management many times, but never failed to light up the Premiership with spectacular goals, superb skills and a gift for enthralling the crowd. If ever there was a showpony in the Premiership, Ginola was it.
28. Emile Heskey (Leicester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wigan)
DJ Emile (known for his celebrations), was a consistently average goalscorer in the premiership for a few seasons, but always scored important goals for his side whilst still at Filbert Street, in a side often lacking midfield supply lines. A move to Liverpool saw him come to greater prominence and he was instrumental in the Cup Treble side of 2001. His goals and contributions have always been notable, and he has been selected partly for longevity in the top tier.
29. Richard Dunne (Everton & Manchester City) & Sami Hyypia (Liverpool)
Both of these two players deserve a top 30 finish solely on the basis of total redemption of their careers in the latter half of their careers, with excellent ratings, peformances and often man of the match awards. Their worth and value to their club sides cannot be stated enough at the times they were plying their trades, and were viewed as rock hard, core defenders crucial to their sides’ survival.
30. Steve McManaman (Liverpool, Real Madrid, Manchester City)
Nearly forgotten in the countdown, it was only a revisit to the old footage of Liverpool in the 90s that made us realise what a phenomenal talent this winger was in the 1990s. A visit to the statistics books then prove that the twinkle toed skills and sprinty runs from this dashing and willowy midfielder were not without yield. Named in the PFA Team of the Year for four seasons consecutively, and shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year for three of those, for the 1990s, McManaman assisted in 45% of all Liverpool’s goals, and recorded 112 goals in 274 appearances, holding the record for most Premiership assists per season for 3 seasons. Considering he spent just 7 seasons in the premiership, McManmaan still holds the record for 2nd most assists from open play of all time, just 2 behind David Beckham. Never won a title and left the Premiership in his prime, returning largely as a player on the cusp of retirement with Man City, but still, records enough to warrant our final spot in the top 30 placing.
Players Nearly Considered for the Top 30 (in no particular order within each level of shortlists):
Level 1 Shortlist
(players who could easily have been in the Top 30 but lacked no.of appearances, or MOM awards or ratings)
- Ian Wright, Chris Waddle, Ruud Gullit, Ian Rush, Bruce Grobelaar, David Platt, John Barnes & Paul Gascoigne*
- Mark Schwarzer
- Nolberto Solano
- Tim Cahill
- David James
- Kevin Phillips
- Paolo Wanchope
- Graeme Le Saux
- Nigel Winterburn
- David Batty
- Fernando Torres
- Emmanuel Adebayor
- Harry Kewell
- Cesc Fabregas
- Gareth Barry
- Didier Drogba
- Darren Anderton
- Paul Merson
- Tore Andre Flo
- Jurgen Klinsmann
- Shay Given
- Les Ferdinand
- Gabriel Agbonlahor
- Pepe Reina
- Edwin Van Der Sar
- Jens Lehmann
- Kolo Toure
- Gael Clichy
- Robert Pires
- Steve Bruce
- Gary Pallister
- Mark Hughes
- Mark Viduka
- Shaun Wright-Philips
- Ricardo Carvalho
- Louis Saha
- Henning Berg
- Gilberto Silva
- Jimmy floyd Hasselbaink
- Brad Friedel
- Ole Gunnar Solksjaer
- James Beattie
- Petr Cech
- Carlo Cudicini
- Robbie Keane
- Jaap Stam
- John Hendrie
Level 2 Shortlist
(players who could be within the top 100 Premiership players of all time)
- Chris Armstrong
- Ronny Johnsen
- Marc Degryse
- Georgiou Kinkladze
- Sylvain Wiltord
- Mark Bosnich
- Steve Guppy
- Dan Petrescu
- Ashley Young
- Dennis Wise
- Jamie Redknapp
- Tony Yeboah
- Colin Hendry
- Stan Collymore
- Trevor Sinclair
- Robbie Earle
- Julian Dicks
- Marcus Gayle
- Efan Ekoku
- Jay Jay Okocha
- Jari Litmanen
- Darren Huckerby
- Dion Dublin
- Morten Gamst Pedersen
- Chris Sutton
- Nick Barmby
- Roberto DiMatteo
- Steve Staunton
- Dietmar Hamann
- Dalian Atkinson
- Andy Hinchcliffe
- A Yakubu
- Faustino Asprilla
- Neville Southall
- Vinnie Jones
- William Gallas
- Ashley Cole
- Gary Kelly
- Andrei Kanchelskis
- Micah Richards
- Andy Johnson
- Gustavo Poyet
- Jermaine Defoe
- Kevin Doyle
- Benito Carbone
- Steed Malbranque
- Jacob Laursen
- Keith Gillespie
- Jonathan Woodgate
- Laurent Robert
- Scott Parker
- John O’Shea
- Craig Bellamy
- Freddie Ljungberg
- Lee Dixon
- Gianluca Vialli
- Steve Ogrizovich
- Fabien Barthez
- Mark Bright
- Eyal Berkovich
- Robert Lee
- Alan Smith
- Florin Radiciou
- Lee Sharpe
- Dean Saunders
- Pierre Van Hooijidonk
- Gheorghe Popescu
- Tony Cottee
Level 3 Shortlist
(players who could be within the top 400 Premiership players of all time)
- Paul Kitson
- Curtis Armstrong
- Jon Moncur
- Keith Curle
- Ian Harte
- John Jensen
- Kevin Campbell
- Carlton Palmer
- Ray Houghton
- Don Hutchison
- Earl Barett
- Ken Monkou
- Mark Draper
- Michael Bridges
- David Wetherall
- Alan Wright
- Duncan Ferguson
- Jason Euell
- Emerson
- Colin Calderwood
- Andy Sinton
- Steve Stone
- Jon Dahl Tomasson
- Darius Vassell
- Frank Lebouef
- Neil Redfern
- Jason Wilcox
- Jermaine Jenas
- Vinny Samways
- John Scales
- Tomas Brolin
- D Akinbyi
- Francis Jeffers
- Olivier Dacourt
- Richard Wright
- Damien Duff
- John Hartson
- Claude Makelele
- Marcus Bent
- Fabrizio Ravanelli
- Lee Hendrie
- Mark Robins
- Ruel Fox
- John Arne Riise
- Ray Parlour
- Marian Pahars
- Neil Lennon
- Regi Blinker
- Milan Baros
- Dean Holdsworth
- Karl Heinz Riedle
- Andy Impey
- Aaron Lennon
- Theo Zagorakis
- Pierluigi Casiraghi
- Thomas Sorensen
- Hamilton Ricard
- Tony Parkinson
- Steve Carr
- Arjen Robben
- Danny Murphy
- Michael Brown
- Chris Powell
- Brian Deane**
- Ian Woan
- Rory Delap
- Dean Sturridge
- Julian Dicks
- Steve Lomas
- Atillio Lombardo
- Juan Veron
- Paul Konchesky
- Emre
- Joe Cole
- Benni McCarthy
- Marlon Harewood
- Eidur Gujohnsen
- Patrik Berger
- Luke Young
- Brett Emerton
- Mark Wright
- Neil Ruddock
- Egil Ostenstad
- Slaven Bilic
- Stefano Eranio
- Francesco Baiano
- Andy Booth
- Oyvind Leonhardsen
- Paolo Futre
-
*lack of appearances and impact in Premiership despite impact for England & English league prior to the Premiership- the poll was for the Premiership alone)
**Scorer of the first ever premiership goal
—Article Copyright FOUR FOUR TWO MAGAZINE 2006.
How Eric Cantona and Paul Scholes aren’t included in a list of top 10 premiership players of all time is a joke!
Cantona was the architect behind the four premiership titles in the early 90s, and coincidently or not (well, or not), the season where he was suspended in 94/95 United failed to win anything.
Scholes is arguably the greatest midfielder the premiership has ever seen along with Keane and Viera. Technically miles ahead of Gerrard and Lampard (think of his goals against Villa, Middlesbrough, and Bradford which neither Gerrard nor Lampard could have scored). Best passer in the world along with Xavi, Fabregas, and Pirlo, but most importantly perhaps, the most intelligent player. Class, just pure class.
le tissier by far. The guys record was much better than cantona’s in a worse team
1.Henry
2.Cantona
3.Shearer
4.Giggs
5.Bergkamp
6.Viera
7.Keane
8.Schmeichel
9.Zola
10.Adams