Who's on your list of the best Premier League players ever? We all have a good idea.
It's given us Sir Alex Ferguson, Kevin Keegan and Arsene Wenger. It's given us mayhem, magic and Mike Dean. It's given us Centurions, Invincibles and Treble winners. There's no division in football quite like the Premier League, where the geniuses and madmen of the game flock to write their name in history. For 28 years, we've witnessed incredible sights - and some of the greatest players to ever live.
Here at FourFourTwo, we've decided to rank the top 100 footballers to appear in the Premier League - that's England's top tier since 1992 - based on their impact. That's a combination of their ability, status and the moments they gave us over the years…
100. Peter Crouch
Aston Villa, Southampton, Liverpool, Portsmouth, Tottenham Hotspur, Stoke City, Burnley
Crouch will always remain one of the Premier League’s most surreal players. At 6ft 7in tall and with an impressive goal return, while he appeared for the likes of Aston Villa and Southampton early on in his career, not even Liverpool or Tottenham could resist the temptation of Crouch’s abilities. It is still incredible how someone so tall could score the countless number of bicycle kicks the England international managed to pull off.
HIGHLIGHT Right foot, left foot, header: Crouch’s perfect hat-trick at Anfield – the only treble in his career – guided Liverpool to a 4-1 win over Arsenal in March 2007.
99. Andrei Kanchelskis
Manchester United, Everton, Manchester City, Southampton
Alex Ferguson’s love of fast and skilful wingers can be traced back to Kanchelskis’ £650,000 arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk. The nimble Russian helped United secure back-to-back Premier League titles from 1993, but couldn’t prevent a high-profile spat with his boss. Instead, he became a cult hero at Everton before shorter stints at Manchester City and Southampton.
HIGHLIGHT A hat-trick against Man City in November 1994 and double for the Toffees at Anfield a year later. Andrei liked a derby.
98. Brad Friedel
Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur
The American stopper holds the record for the most consecutive Premier League appearances. Between August 2004 and October 2012, Friedel played 310 straight matches – comprising eight years, six managers and three clubs. A fine leader, communicator and goalkeeper.
HIGHLIGHT Friedel bagged a 90th-minute equaliser for Blackburn against Charlton Athletic in February 2004... only for the Addicks to net an even later winner to take the spoils 3-2.
97. Pepe Reina
Liverpool, Aston Villa
Hailed as “the best keeper in Spain” by Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez upon his 2005 arrival from Villarreal, Reina’s first task was to oust Champions League final legend Jerzy Dudek. It wasn’t even a fight: Reina immediately grabbed the No.1 shirt, racking up 134 clean sheets in 285 Premier League appearances for the Reds – earning him the Golden Glove award in three consecutive campaigns.
HIGHLIGHT Breaking Liverpool’s record of consecutive Premier League clean sheets (eight) during his first, rock-solid season.
96. Steve Bruce
Manchester United
Bruce’s contributions to early-90s Manchester United deserve much greater credit. As one half of a formidable defensive partnership with Gary Pallister, the affable Northumbrian helped United win three of the opening four Premier Leagues – the first as skipper, via one almighty intervention...
HIGHLIGHT Brucie’s brace – superb headers in the 86th and 96th minutes – gave United a fabled 2-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday in April 1993. Fergie’s side never looked back, sealing the title with two matches to spare.
95. Emile Heskey
Leicester City, Liverpool, Birmingham City, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa
Heskey’s 110 Premier League goals place him 23rd in the all-time scoring chart, but the Leicester man was always valued for more than his bare numbers. His total may have been helped by longevity over innate scoring talent – only six players have exceeded Heskey’s 516 top-flight appearances – but he earned every single strike through his tireless work ethic and selfless style.
“Heskey may be heavily criticised by some English fans, but I don’t see it like that,” noted former FIFA World Player of the Year Rivaldo in 2002. “I played against him a couple of times for Barcelona and realised what a quality player he is. If you ask me which Englishman I think would be able to cope with playing in my team, Brazil, I say Heskey.”
HIGHLIGHT A cracker against Coventry for Leicester in November 1999 was the very best of Heskey: terrific chest control, then a brilliant finish moving away from goal.
94. Jamie Carragher
Liverpool
The one-club man willingly played anywhere he was needed in his early Reds career, moving to a permanent home at centre-back under Rafael Benitez. His strong leadership made him an Anfield pillar for 17 years. “Carragher was the most difficult opponent in terms of aggression,” revealed Didier Drogba.
HIGHLIGHT An 18-year-old Carra slotted into midfield on his full Liverpool debut at home to Aston Villa in January 1997 – and headed the opening goal in a 3-0 victory.
TRANSFERS Liverpool, Real Madrid or Manchester City: Where will Kylian Mbappe end up?
93. James Milner
Leeds United, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Liverpool, Brighton & Hove Albion
Milner has enjoyed the career of a dozen different players. He’s been the Premier League’s youngest-ever scorer, a touchline-hugging wideman under Sir Bobby Robson at Newcastle, and a goal-getter with Aston Villa. Now in his late 30s, the shapeshifting Yorkshireman has settled into his final position as Brighton's utility leader. He's coming for that appearance record.
HIGHLIGHT Sure, Millie’s a three-time title winner, but that goal for Leeds in 2002 – aged 16 years, 356 days – takes some beating.
92. Kasper Schmeichel
Manchester City, Leicester City
Being the son of a legend didn’t give Schmeichel much of a leg-up. He had to work his way up off the Manchester City bench, eventually reaching the Premier League with Leicester in 2014. Then he helped the Foxes maintain their top-flight status before the natural conclusion of, er, winning the bloody thing. The 34-year-old rarely put a glove wrong and became a Leicester icon.
HIGHLIGHT Five straight clean sheets near the end of 2015/16, when everybody began to believe in the impossible.
91. Dion Dublin
Manchester United, Coventry City, Aston Villa
Dublin achieved something deep with each passing Premier League campaign. The talisman took on cult status in the ’90s, with his long-legged stride, rocket shot and infectious energy endearing him to those who watched on. If that’s not enough, Dublin once lived with actor Jason Statham, went on to invent his own percussion instrument (The Dube) and now successfully presents Homes Under the Hammer. Dion, we salute you.
HIGHLIGHT An explosive hat-trick for Coventry against Sheffield Wednesday in December 1995, coming during a purple patch where Dublin began to assert himself as one of the premier marksmen in English football.
