Top 50 Premier League Players of All Time

[Sumudica by Night]

49. Ian Wright

Arsenal

 

 

“A great goalscorer and a scorer of great goals” was the phrase coined to describe the illustrious career of Ian Wright in North London.

 

Not only did the Englishman amass 185 goals in 288 appearances for the Gunners, but his repertoire of goals — including the most deftest of dinks, the most elementary of tap-ins or the most complex of 30-yarders — made him one of the most breathtaking forwards ever to bless the Premier League.

 

Having smashed Arsenal’s club record transfer fee upon arrival — Wright was valued at £2.5 million despite being three years shy of his 30th birthday — many harboured doubts over the forward’s capacity to make the all-important step-up from provincial level to club football’s blue riband.

 

Alan Smith had assumed the role of chief goalscorer after claiming the Golden Boot award twice in three seasons; Anders Limpar was a frequent terroriser of rearguards while Kevin Campbell, graduating from the Gunners’ youth academy and seven years Wright’s junior, boasted the vigour to complement the Swede’s sleight-of-hand.

 

Unperturbed, Wright was quick to suppress the detractors, netting on his Arsenal debut against Leicester City in the League Cup before grabbing a hat-trick on his league bow at The Dell.

 

The Englishman ended his maiden campaign having notched up a remarkable 26 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions, as Arsenal recaptured the First Division title ahead of the Premier League’s inception.

 

League supremacy was quickly snatched by the claws of Manchester United, but Wright continued to plunder goals at an explosive rate. The 30 goal mark was eclipsed in three consecutive years following the Gunners’ First Division triumph, with the Englishman routinely exhibiting his predatory penalty-box instincts and his penchant for the spectacular.

 

The strike that best encapsulates Wright’s panache, though, was his desecration of Leeds No.1 John Lukic that piercing afternoon in 1995. Profiting from a fortunate ricochet, Wright latched onto the ball and, after tying Leeds defender David Wetherall in knots with his enviable close-control and mental capriciousness , fashioned the deftest of dinks over goalkeeper John Lukic between the sticks to cap off a memorable display.

 

Supporters became accustomed to Wright’s flashes of brilliance. Manchester United fell victim to the forward’s brimming ingenuity in the 1993 Charity Shield at Wembley, while Neville Southall was forced to wallow in self-pity as the Englishman manufactured one of the most outrageous solo-efforts in Premier League history against Everton later that year.

 

After firing the Gunners to Cup Winners’ Cup glory in 1995 – Wright netted in every round except the final against Parma – Dennis Bergkamp’s arrival that summer revivified the Englishman. The forward forged an immediate rapport with the Dutchman in attack as he continued to top the Arsenal goalscoring charts.

 

But his swan song in Arsenal colours loomed on the horizon as an injury-shredded 1997/98 campaign saw the Englishman propelled into the Arsenal folklore by eclipsing Cliff Bastin’s all-time goalscoring record.

 

Wright required two goals that afternoon to surpass Bastin’s goal tally and, after prematurely revealing a shirt emblazoned with the words ‘179 – Just Done It’ after his opener on 20 minutes, the forward really did do it five minutes later before wheeling away in jubilation to cries of ‘Ian Wright Wright Wright’.

 

Wright departed Highbury in 1998 sporting his first Premier League Winners’ medal. A fitting send-off for a forward who was born to score goals and who, alongside his innate penalty-box instincts, just happened to be a scorer of great ones

 

.

 

Craig Vickers

 

 

48. Marcel Desailly

Chelsea

 

 

Marcel Desailly will be remembered as one of the most accomplished players of his generation and one of the greatest defenders of the modern era.

 

Desailly currently resides in the country of his birth, Ghana, but began his career in France with FC Nantes’ famed youth academy.

 

Marcel advanced to the first team and forged a sturdy partnership with current France national team manager, Didier Deschamps.

 

Desailly’s talent was evident from a young age, his aggression and ability to read the game made him a formidable foe, hence his nickname “the rock”, and it soon became evident he would leave Nantes.

 

Next came Marseille where he was reunited with Deschamps, capturing his first of two Champions League Winner’s medals.

 

The second came at AC Milan, whom he joined after just one season on the French Riviera, with Desailly scoring in the final. Desailly was largely deployed in midfield at Milan, helping the Rossoneri to two Serie A’s, two Italian Super Cups, a UEFA Super Cup and of course of the Champions League, making him the first player to win the cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs.

 

The rock’s transition to the Premier League with Chelsea was not as smooth as one may have imagined. Indeed, Desailly had even been accused of saving his best performances for the European stages.

 

However, Desailly would silence the doubters wrong in the closing months of his first season, highlighting his capacity to motivate those around him and lead a team as captain.

 

Desailly ended his first season in West London with another UEFA Super Cup. As expected Desailly would win both the trust and hearts of the fans in his six seasons with Chelsea, leading the blues to a historic FA Cup, the last hosted at the Old Wembley Stadium.

 

On the international front Desailly was a stalwart for France, despite the controversy surrounding his choice to play for France over Ghana. Desailly was a vital cog of the World Cup winning team in 1998, albeit being sent off in the final.

 

Two years later, he won Euro 2000 and was made captain after tournament. Desailly ended his international career with a record number (116) of appearances for France, later to be surpassed by Lilian Thuram.

 

Conor O’Connell

 

 

47. Michael Owen

Liverpool, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Stoke City

 

 

The 90s was a difficult time for Liverpool. Following their dominance in the 1980s, the Reds won a single FA and League Cup in the 90s and the “Spice Boys” stories dominated the back pages.

 

To inspire his side, Roy Evans looked to the academy.

 

Enter Michael Owen, the 17-year-old prodigy who took the Premier League by storm in his first season as a regular in the starting XI.

 

At the expense of an injured Robbie Fowler, Owen played in 36 league games, scoring 18 goals as he tormented defences with his mixture of pace, control and precision finishing.

 

Liverpool’s title challenge petered out in April, but Owen finished the season with both the Premier League Golden Boot and PFA Young Player of the Year award.

 

The peak of his career came in the 2000/01 season at the tender age of 21. While Liverpool achieved a respectable third in the Premier League, Gerard Houllier’s side completed a famous treble, winning the League Cup, UEFA Cup and FA Cup, with Owen’s crucial double helping to win the latter.

 

A Ballon d’Or win followed in recognition of his accomplishments.

 

But Owen’s fairytale start in football was also instrumental in his decline and decision to retire from the game in 2013. An anterior cruciate ligament injury in a 2006 World Cup match against Sweden, along with other niggling injuries, robbed him of his pace and Owen was happy to play second fiddle at Manchester United.

 

Had it not been for injuries, he may well have broken Bobby Charlton’s goal-scoring record for England before Wayne Rooney.

 

Owen’s career as a player is defined by his initial success and the thought of what might have been. But for those years before injuries took over, he was a shining light for a Liverpool side that had started to lose its way.

 

 

Joe Taylor

[Danskin]

Wrighty! :prayer: O terror dos defesas.

[Poeira]

Owen :prayer:

 

As lesões estragaram-lhe uma carreira que podia ter sido bem mais magistral.

[Simeone]

Verdade, o que o Owen podia ter sido...

[P. Chagas Freitas]

Le Tissier, Shearer, Henry e Bergkamp é o meu top 4

[Enzo Dios Perez]

O Owen merecia bem mais. Tudo bem que acabou por não ter uma carreira adequada com o seu valor mas ainda fez estragos na liga inglesa durante uns bons anos. Arrisco-me até a dizer que no seu auge era o melhor jogador daquilo.

Editado 30 Dezembro 2015 por Enzo Dios Perez

[Visitante]

O Owen foi bola de ouro

[Eden Hazard]

Owen :heart:

[Fajo]

Vai ser o CR7 em 1º 8-)

[Enzo Dios Perez]

O Bild também fez um top para os 100 melhores jogadores da história da Bundesliga.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gerd Müller em 1º.

 

[Oblivion]

ver o Gotze 30 posições à frente do Mario Gomez doeu um bocadinho

[Danskin]

Há aí coisas nessa lista do Bild um pouco estranhas, a meu ver.

[Sumudica by Night]

46. Jamie Carragher

Liverpool

 

 

There are a handful of Premier League-era players that can truly call themselves one-club players. It takes a phenomenal dedication, passion, consistency and, above all, a phenomenal loyalty to achieve such a feat, and Liverpool’s Jamie Carragher is one.

 

A striker as a schoolboy, Carragher was quick and clinical but small in stature. As his early years progressed he transitioned into a midfield role, before finding himself at home as a defensive player when establishing himself in the Liverpool reserve side.

 

Carragher made his debut in January of 1997, under Roy Evans, and scored his first goal for the club just a few weeks later. This was to be one of his four Premier League goals in 17 Premier League campaigns.

 

The defensive stalwart began to establish himself in the squad in the 1997/98 season, performing usefully as a utility player across the back four and sometimes at defensive midfield, but he didn’t begin shining until the arrival of Gerard Houllier in 1998 when Carragher played 44 times and won the club’s Player of the Year award.

 

Houllier never saw him as a centre back however, and while Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz formed a formidable pairing, Carragher found himself at right and left back.

 

It wasn’t until the arrival of Rafa Benitez in 2004/05 that Carragher truly developed into a world class centre back. His no-nonsense approach may not have been pretty, but he was strong, positionally astute and phenomenally passionate and became part of the wonderful spine the club built during the Benitez era.

 

Carragher’s crowning achievement was winning the Champions League in 2005, where he had two last-gasp intercepts in extra time whilst suffering from cramp.

 

Despite some efforts to oust him from his position late on his career, Carragher always found himself back into the side and never looked out of place. In his entire career, the Sky pundit never played less than 30 games in a season – totally 508 league appearances and over 700 in total.

 

A Premier League legend who still finds himself gracing our screens every week, Carragher was a truly legendary defensive stalwart and proved this whether at centre back, right back or left back. Few portrayed passion and determination as strong as he did, while even fewer can call themselves a one-club Premier League legend.

 

 

Kevin Coleman

 

45. Fernando Torres

Chelsea, Liverpool

 

 

Rewind six or seven years ago, and Fernando Torres was simply one of the best strikers in the World. His pace, his determination and his eye for goal meant he was feared by every single defender he faced.

 

Just ask Nemanja Vidić, one of the Premiership’s best centre-halves, who was made to look like a really bad schoolboy by Torres, on more than one occasion.

 

All of the above may be hard to believe to the younger fan who missed Torres’ prime at Liverpool. A £50 million move to Chelsea was good timing for Torres, who had entered a bit of a rut, but his form only declined at Stamford Bridge.

 

He struggled to 20 goals in 110 appearances, dire compared to his 65 goals in 102 appearances for Liverpool.

 

On Merseyside, though, watching Torres was a joy. The way he latched onto Pepe Reina’s quick, long kicks were a joy to behold. The way he linked up and brought out the best in captain Steven Gerrard was truly special.

 

El Nino brought excitement to the red half of Merseyside and was truly adored. It’s testament to Torres that the likes of Gerrard hold him in the same category as Luis Suarez, arguably the best Premier League footballer of the last decade.

 

It just felt like every time I went onto the pitch with him, I was going to play well and that I was going to create goals for him. And when you’ve got that feeling, it’s so enjoyable to play football.

– Steven Gerrard

 

Gerrard was right, Torres at Liverpool made things happen and gave that belief to the supporters and his team-mates.

 

His spell at Chelsea may have tarnished his reputation amongst Premier League fans, but there’s underestimating how deadly Fernando Torres was at Liverpool.

 

 

Scott Salter

 

44. Marc Overmars

Arsenal

 

 

If Marc Overmars was signed in this day and age, the Arsenal Twitterverse would go into meltdown that Arsene Wenger signed yet another injury prone player.

 

Thankfully social media isn’t as rampant in 1997 as it is today as Wenger signed a player that helped etched Arsenal’s name on the Premier League trophy.

 

The Dutchman had only come back from a long-term layoff with a cruciate ligament injury when it seemed that Ajax Amsterdam didn’t want to take the risk with him.

 

Wenger took a giant leap of faith and reunited the winger with Dennis Bergkamp whom they spent a season together at Ajax on top of numerous international assignments.

 

The impact that Overmars bring to an already slick Arsenal team was his lightning speed and he instantly became a counter attacking weapon.

 

Bergkamp developed an instant understanding with the pint-sized Overmars and Premier League defences struggled to cope with the combination play of these two.

 

Gooners would remember fondly one particular contribution of Overmars during that successful league campaign was that all-important match at Old Trafford.

 

Arsenal hauled back a nine point gap to Manchester United that was highlighted by Overmars’ goal that was also the first that the Gunners has scored there in the Premier League era.

 

Overmars would stay for just another two seasons at Highbury as top clubs around the world sat up and reassess their previous view on his health.

 

The three seasons saw Overmars involved in over 30 leagues games each season. While he couldn’t help Arsenal retain the title, he was still a thorn to many defenders.

 

It may have been a short sojourn on the English shore but Marc Overmars’ definitely left a big imprint.

 

 

Ooi Kin Fai

[noikeee]

Carragher à frente do Owen? Quem fez este top come m*rda às colheres?

[Eden Hazard]

O que aconteceu ao Torres foi verdadeiramente inacreditável. Ver esse vídeo e ver o que produziu no Chelsea... :cry:

[infinito]

Efeito Gerrard 8)

[SAS_Robben]

Overmars :heart:

 

O meu sonho em puto era ter uma equipa com o Figo num lado e o Overmars noutro.

[Eden Hazard]

Efeito Gerrard 8)

Não justifica tudo. né?

[Danskin]

Overmars! :prayer:

 

Daqueles que vai deixar saudades para todo o sempre.

[Su1]

Nunca gostei do Carragher.

[kareca]

Não deve haver muita gente que goste

[Bashir]

O Overmars era uma flecha do crl. Jogador mais rápido do Mundial 98 a par do Henry. Como na altura não percebia muito da bola isso ficou-me no ouvido e passou a ser dos meus jogadores preferidos :lol: Graças a deus que ele era mesmo bom e não era só a corrida.

[Sumudica by Night]

43. Carlos Tevez

Manchester City, Manchester United, West Ham United

 

 

Carlos Alberto Martínez Tevez entered the Premier League in August 2006 under a cloud of controversy.

 

In 2013, he left under a cloud of controversy. Hurricane Carlitos. His seven years in England were a whirlwind of controversy, brinksmanship and fines.

 

But look beyond the tabloid headlines that swirled around the Argentine and you’ll find a beating heart of filled with passion – ask supporters of any of the three clubs what the stocky, scarred, tenacious boy from Buenos Aires means to them and the response will be one of fondness, perhaps even love.

 

A study of his career in England offers ample evidence to suggest the strength of feeling – his first goal for West Ham, a perfect free-kick versus Tottenham, resulted in a shirtless Tevez bounding into the Upton Park crowd.

 

At Manchester United his he formed a deadly attacking triumvirate along side Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo, his apparently unresolved contract situation prompting booming calls from the Old Trafford faithful for Ferguson to “sign him up!”.

 

And then, more controversy. “Welcome to Manchester” proclaimed the sky-blue billboard intended to rile the red side of the city. The player chosen to illustrate that Manchester City meant business – Carlos Tevez.

 

The numerous controversies and contract sagas, culminating in Munich, dominate memories of Tevez’s time at Eastlands, despite him being made captain in his second season and becoming the second fastest player in City history to make it to 50 goals.

 

In the seven years in the Premier League Tevez made over 200 appearances, scoring 84 goals and lifting the title three times. One wonders that perhaps, without the obvious interference of his agent Kia Joorabchian, ether Tevez’s career could have propelled him higher up the ‘greatest ever’ lists.

 

On the other hand, would the trappings of greater success – more trophies or contract bonuses – mean anything to a player who seemed to only want to play for the love of the fans?

 

In this Top 50 there will undoubtedly be more successful players higher up the list. There will also be players who enjoyed greater longevity in the Premier League. However, there will be very few players who can stake the claim for greater impact at their respective clubs in such a short amount of time.

 

 

Charles Pulling

 

42. Gary Speed

Bolton Wanderers, Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle United

 

 

One can read the early history of the Premier League in the story of Gary Speed’s career. He was the youthful, attacking spirit of the Leeds midfield quartet of Speed, Batty, McAllister and Strachan that helped deliver the last league title of the pre-Premier league era to Elland Road.

 

A versatile performer featuring as a wing back, winger, central midfielder and even as a sweeper, a role he regularly fulfilled for the Welsh national team it was Speed’s consistency that ensures his position as a Premier League legend.

 

It was this drive and consistency that would see him become the first player to make 500 Premier League appearances and in 2007 his goal against Reading meant that he had scored in every season of the Premier League since its inception.

 

That other Welsh veteran of the Premier League, Ryan Giggs would later surpass both these records but it’s worth remembering that at international level Speed became Wales most capped outfield player while Giggs’ infamous international absences meant he won only 64 caps in a 16 year international career.

 

Entering the Premier League as defending champions Leeds’ next seasons were far less successful and even the final of Gary Speed’s more than 300 games in the white of Leeds would also end in disappointment as they lost 3-0 to Aston Villa in the 1996 League Cup final.

 

There followed a supposed dream move to the club of his boyhood affections Everton, on signing he said:

 

Maybe I stayed at Leeds one or two seasons too long. Maybe I need a move to get my career going again but that’s all behind me now.

Things started well for Speed, he scored on his debut for the club and finished the season with 11 goals in all competitions and was named the clubs Player of the Year.

 

Everton continued to struggle although Speed was made captain by the returning Howard Kendall the following season Speed left in somewhat acrimonious circumstance moving to Newcastle for £5.5m.

 

Speed’s time at Newcastle was more successful and he got to play in the Champions League again in 2002/03 as well as featuring in back to back cup finals in 1998 and 1999 but finished on the losing side on both occasions.

 

Sam Allardyce, always one to spot a quality veteran footballer who still has a bit to offer, signed up a 34-year-old Speed for Bolton in the summer of 2004 and Speed continued to be a key performer as the club enjoyed three seasons of consecutive of top ten finishes in 2008 as a nearly 40-year-old Gary Speed finally began to wind down his top flight career.

 

Trophy wise Speed’s career peaked in his early 20s before the dawn of the Premier League however even in struggling teams Speed was an exceptional performer, consistent, versatile, a goal threat and an on-pitch leader.

 

 

Gerry Farrell

 

 

41. Robin van Persie

Arsenal, Manchester United

 

 

Sometimes there really is a situation where you are lucky enough to find the last piece of the jigsaw.

– Sir Alex Ferguson, December 2012

 

At that point Ferguson knew the title would be returning to Old Trafford, and there was no denying who the key factor was.

 

Since his early days on the streets of Rotterdam, Robin Van Persie always seemed destined to play on the highest stage.

 

Van Persie played for his local club SBV Excelsior until he was 16, and despite his petulant attitude causing problems, the club clearly thought a lot of him. In 2010, one of the stands in the Stadion Woudestein was named after him.

 

At 17, Van Persie made his debut for Feyenoord, and despite clashing with coach Bert Van Marwijk, he helped them win the UEFA Cup in their own stadium in 2002, before moving to Arsenal in 2004.

 

Arsene Wenger converted Van Persie from a winger in to centre-forward, and once Thierry Henry left the Gunners in 2007, the Dutchman took over where the Frenchman had left off.

 

From the start of the 2007-08 season until his departure for Manchester United in 2012, RVP scored 75 goals in 122 Premier League appearances for Arsenal.

 

Seven years without silverware at the Emirates Stadium left Van Persie frustrated, and at 29 he handed in the captain’s armband and made the controversial move to United for £24 million.

 

With RVP in the team United had their swagger back, and a record 20th league title – Van Persie’s first – followed.

 

The Dutchman quickly became a cult hero at Old Trafford, but with Ferguson’s sudden retirement, his performances would decline under David Moyes and then Louis Van Gaal.

 

In the summer of 2015, RVP left England after 11 years, and with 145 goals to his name he is the tenth highest scorer in Premier League history.

 

[Eden Hazard]

40. Denis Irwin

Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers

 

 

Much in the same way a particular song defines an era, it also colours people’s perceptions of it.

 

Alan Hansen’s comment “You can’t win anything with kids” is a phrase that has become synonymous with the first great era of Premier League dominance by Manchester United and has inadvertently defined the narrative that it was Ferguson and eleven teenagers that took English football by storm.

 

Of course, that’s not the entire truth.

 

Yes, the ‘Class of ’92’ were instrumental in the domestic dominance, but that youthful verve and guile was built on a foundation of reliability – a spine of players that held it all together. And no other player represents reliability, at the highest levels, than Denis Irwin.

 

Alex Ferguson paid Oldham Athletic £625,000 for the 25-year-old Cork man, a not too small amount in 1990; but, with the benefit of great hindsight, it should be considered one of the Manchester United manager’s greatest ever signings.

 

Over the course of eleven seasons, the left-back made 368 league appearances, accumulating seven league winners medals in the process.

 

His reliability in defensive duties, more often than not stationed behind a very un-defensive Ryan Giggs, is what stands Irwin out from his peers – he was, as his manager called him at Old Trafford, an “8/10 player” and a “certainty” to get into Ferguson’s greatest ever team.

 

He wasn’t too shabby going forward too, becoming a dead-ball and penalty specialist; and memorably converted what may well be Eric Cantona’s greatest ever assist versus Tottenham Hotspur.

 

After Old Trafford, Irwin illustrated his undying love for playing by signing on for two more Premier League seasons with Wolverhampton Wanderers, before finally calling time on an illustrious 20 year professional career.

 

 

 

39. Cesc Fabregas

Arsenal, Chelsea

 

Cesc Fabregas is the adopted child of the English Premier League as he joined Arsenal from Barcelona’s fabled La Masia academy as a scrawny teenager with goofy teeth and a disheveled mullet.

 

However, his talent was undeniable as he possessed technical guile way beyond his years as he was an early prototype of the modern day midfielder.

 

The youngster found role models in the likes of Patrick Viera and when the Frenchman left, the youngster’s career really began to take off.

 

He didn’t bring the boundless strength and energy the Frenchman brought but added his own blend of creative industry and vibrant youth.

 

Wenger put Fabregas on a path of development which would ultimately result in the Spaniard being named Arsenal’s captain.

 

He was Arsenal’s creative and possessional hub as he constantly desired to lead by example gifting Arsenal fans with spellbinding moments like his goal straight from the kickoff against Tottenham and being substituted on against Aston Villa to score two match winning goals and go off injured.

 

As all this was happening, lustful eyes from Catalonia watched eagerly as Fabregas earned interest from his boyhood club. His childhood idol Pep Guardiola was coaching them as Fabregas always sought the affection of Barcelona.

 

In 2011, he left for Barcelona but after what was an inspiring start, a positional change from midfielder to false-nine tainted him from taking up Xavi’s mantle. In 2014, it was time for him to leave and he returned to the one place, he truly felt at home, London.

 

It was with the blue of Chelsea but he continued to give weekly examples of his brilliance from his nonchalantly controlled assist to Andre Schurrle on his debut and his beautifully chipped ball to Diego Costa against former employers, Arsenal.

 

Fabregas is the biggest testament to Arsene Wenger’s belief and trust in youth as the scrawny teenager became a World Cup winner (providing the assist in the final), won two Euros and found some sort of closure in a trophy ladden spell with Barcelona.

 

He finally won the Premier League with Chelsea as he looks to cement his legacy as the Premier League’s favourite adopted son.

 

 

 

 

38. Jaap Stam

Manchester United

 

 

As I stand in the Stretford End of Old Trafford, a pocket of fans sing out ‘Jip Jaap Stam, he’s a big Dutch man’.

 

Unfortunately its 2013 and there is no sign of Stam, but it just goes to show the admiration that many of the United faithful hold for the former Dutch international.

 

Although Stam only spent three seasons between 1998 and 2001 at Manchester United, what a glorious three seasons they were for both him and fans alike.

 

Stam played a pivotal role in the infamous treble winning side of 1999 as well as winning the Premier League title either side of the treble.

 

Unfortunately Stam’s United playing career was cut short after he made some controversial comments in his autobiography about both the club and Sir Alex Ferguson, stating that Ferguson had tapped him up and his approach to buy him was done without the permission of PSV.

 

In what Ferguson would later reveal as one of his biggest mistakes in his managerial career, Stam was sold to Lazio for £15 million following a confrontation between the two in the car park of a petrol station.

 

Just think what more could have achieved if Ferguson had acted so harshly and turned a blind eye to Stam’s controversial words.

 

Como o Sumudica não tem atualizado o top, vou continuar o seu trabalho - tenho a certeza que não se importa.

[Sumudica by Night]

Obrigado. Esqueci-me disto completamente.