After 20 years of Premier League football fanatix thought it was about time to take a look back at the 20 greatest players to grace the English top tier during that time. 20. Matt Le Tissier Club: Southampton. Hardly built like an athlete, but what Le Tissier lacked physically the forward more than made up for in talent, scoring 102 league goals in 270 matches despite not playing as an out-and-out striker. 19. Rio Ferdinand Clubs: West Ham United, Leeds United, Manchester United. Was the British record transfer in 2001 when the Red Devils paid a whopping £30m for the centre-back, who in nearly 13 years at Old Trafford has won six league titles and the Champions League. 18. Gianfranco Zola Club: Chelsea. Remains a hugely popular figure at Stamford Bridge despite leaving the club before the influx of success Roman Abramovichs millions bought and the Italian was a truly top-class star. 17. John Terry Club: Chelsea. Another Blues legend and a captain that has guided the west London club to three league titles and an historic Champions League triumph in 2012 - four years after missing a crucial penalty in the final. 16. Michael Owen Clubs: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Manchester United, Stoke City. Was the fastest player in the leagues history to reach 50 goals after bursting onto the scene at Anfield and although Owens career was hampered by injury, 150 goals in 326 games is a great return. 15. Tony Adams Club: Arsenal. A fiercely loyal captain at Highbury, who was one of the few old school members in north London that survived Arsene Wengers new regime and helped the side to four league titles (including twice as the old First Division). 14. Frank Lampard Clubs: West Ham United, Chelsea. Was the most expensive player in the clubs history when the Blues paid £11m for Lampard in 2001, with the midfielder going onto be the sides top-scorer of all time and winning every piece of domestic silverware possible. 13. Andy Cole Clubs: Newcastle United, Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Manchester City, Portsmouth, Sunderland. Became something of a journeyman later in the strikers career, but at Newcastle and then the Red Devils there were few better in front of goal and Cole is the leagues second highest scorer with 188 strikes. 12. Ashley Cole Clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea. One of the few players to win the title with two different sides and one of the few genuine world-class stars England have produced in recent times, with Cole winning three league titles to date. 11. Patrick Vieira Clubs: Arsenal, Manchester City. Had a brief spell with the Citizens later in the midfielders career, but it was bossing the Gunners midfield as captain that this fearsome Frenchman earned his brilliant reputation. 10. Roy Keane Clubs: Nottingham Forest, Manchester United. The ying to Vieiras yang, Keane was a no nonsense player who operated like a brusier from years gone by and yet also possessed supreme talent and an immeasurable will to win. 9. Steven Gerrard Club: Liverpool. A Reds man through and through having progressed from the youth academy at Anfield in 1997 and going onto to become skipper and guiding them to a dramatic Champions League triumph in 2005. 8. Ryan Giggs Club: Manchester United. The most decorated player in English history having matched Sir Alex Fergusons 13 league titles and also amassing a total of 867 appearances for United to date. 7. Paul Scholes Club: Manchester United. A modest and private person, but when on a football pitch Scholes was pure class and Barcelona and Spain legend Xavi says the midfielder modeled his game on the Englishman - with the United icon winning 11 league titles. 6. Wayne Rooney Clubs: Everton, Manchester United. Few players have caused quite such a stir at such a young age as Rooney, who broke onto the scene at Goodison Park as a bustling 16-year-old, before making the £27m switch to Old Trafford aged 18 and becoming one of their best ever stars since then. 5. Dennis Bergkamp Club: Arsenal. Arrived in north London from Inter Milan in 1995 as something of a flop in Italy, yet in 11 years in England became recognised as one of the most technically gifted players to ever grace the game. 4. Eric Cantona Club: Manchester United. Like Bergkamp this Frenchman simply oozed class and appeared to be one step ahead of everybody else, guiding United to four league titles in just five years - at times seemingly single-handedly. 3. Cristiano Ronaldo Club: Manchester United. One of a few players on this list to be awarded the Ballon dOr for being the best player in the world, Ronaldo left Manchester in 2009 for a world record £80m as one of the best there has ever been. 2. Alan Shearer Clubs: Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United. For sheer consistency its difficult to find anyone better than the Englishman, who after winning the league with Blackburn in 1995 made a then world record £15m switch to boyhood side Newcastle - where Shearer would retire as the leagues top-scorer with 260 goals in 441 matches. 1. Thierry Henry Club: Arsenal. At the Frenchmans peak at Highbury there was no player on the planet who could stop the forward, who destroyed defences for a past time and finished an eight-year career with the Gunners with 176 league goals.
Posted on: Wed, 29 Jan 2014 07:51:33 +0000
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