Greatest Premier League XI of all-time

15th April 2020

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The Premier League is almost 30 years old, time flies when you're having fun. The league has seen some of the greatest players arrive from all four corners of the earth, and it has been fascinating to see the change in pulling power over the years.

When the Premier League first began in season 1992/93 most teams only had players from the home countries. Towards the mid to late 90s we started to see a flurry of some wonderful foreign talent although it was evident that these players were coming from Serie A and La Liga to see out the twilight of their careers. It took at least another 10 years for the Premier League to have the persuasion and money to pull in the very best players in world football during the peak of their playing powers.

This article looks at what we believe are the greatest XI players to have ever graced the Premier League.

 

Table of Contents:

 

Selection Criteria

The important thing to point out here is this list is the greatest XI players who have ever played in the English Premier League. It is not the most successful Premier League players or the longest serving. So the emphasis is more on the player's greatness, regardless of how long they played in the Premier League, or whether their best years were in the Premier League. For example if Lionel Messi had been loaned to Arsenal in his early years, played just one 10 minute substitute appearance in the Premier League, then he would still have to be included in this list.

The list is focused on the exceptional players that done it week in and week out, in the toughest of Leagues and on the international stage, with some of their career taking place in the Premier League.

 

Formation used:

We went for a 4-1-2-3 formation for this list. Made up of a goalkeeper of course, a standard back four, a defensive midfielder, two central midfielders, of which one is more attacking, a left and right winger, and finally a centre forward.

4-1-2-3 formation diagram

Without further a do, lets take a look at who's been selected as the greatest XI players to have graced the English Premier League.

Whether you agree or disagree, be sure to leave your comments, and if you state your case for an alternative XI well enough, we may just be persuaded to change our XI.

 

 

Goalkeeper: Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel spent 9 seasons in the Premier League and 10 if you count the old First Division. Seven of those seasons were spent with Manchester United. He was Sir Alex Ferguson's right hand man, his guard as United resurfaced as the strongest team in England since their 1960s side.

Schmeichel had joined United after winning the European Championship in stunning fashion with Denmark, a side who were big outsiders as they stunned Germany in the final. The Danes kept a clean sheet that day and Schmeichel would go on fondly be remembered as the 'Great Dane' in England as he came to United's rescue time and again. He won countless league titles and trophies with the club culminating in the Red Devils winning their first European Cup since 1968, and becoming the first English club to win the Champions League when they infamously beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in 1999.

He was remembered as being fearless, determined and making some of the greatest saves that the league has ever seen, it is why he is rightly regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time.

From 310 Premier League appearances Schemeichel kept 128 clean sheets that's an average of 41%. But what many people may not know is that he was quite potent up front too. He scored 11 goals in his career, 10 for club and one for country. His final club goal came when he was playing for Aston Villa. He ended his Premier League career at Manchester City in 2003.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 648 (1981-2003)

Goals: 9

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 310

Goals: 1

Assists: 3

Clean Sheets: 128

 

International Career: Denmark:

Games: 129 (1987-2001)

Goals: 1

 

Major Honours:

Premier League: 5 (1992/93, 1993/94, 1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (1998/99)

FA Cup: 3 (1993/94, 1995/96, 1998/99)

Primeira Liga: 1 (1999/00)

UEFA European Championship: 1 (1992)

 

Honourable mentions: Edwin van der Sar, David Seaman, Petr Cech.

 

 

Left Fullback: Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole

Image Source: Football.ua (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Ashley Cole spent the bulk of his career in the Premier League and whilst he may be remembered as being an Arsenal player he actually spent more time at Chelsea.

Cole was the rarest of English defenders because whilst he could command his position he was absolutely electric coming forward too and would love to attack. He reminded you of Brazil's best, especially Roberto Carlos at the time.

Cole was electric for Arsenal and was part of the team that won league titles and went the season unbeaten. Arguably he became more of a complete defender when he teamed up with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. Cole was known for his last minute tackles and earned Chelsea plenty of points in the process. He is seen as the best left back that has ever graced the Premier League though the switch across London to Arsenal's derby rivals was quite controversial, with Cole's autobiography title even being influenced by it called 'My Defence', a good double meaning.

Without question Cole was a part of the England set up and played in the national side for 13 years, which included making appearances in 3 World Cups and 2 European Championships. In the latter part of his career Cole joined Roma in Serie A, then moved on to LA Galaxy and finished his career returning to England to play in the Championship for Derby.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 508 (1999-2019)

Goals: 19

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 385

Goals: 15

Assists: 31

Clean Sheets: 148

 

International Career: England:

Games: 107 (2001-2014)

Goals: 0

 

Major Honours:

Premier League: 3 (2001/02, 2003/04, 2009/10)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (2011/12)

UEFA Europa League: 1 (2012/13)

FA Cup: 7 (2001/02, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12)

 

Honourable mentions: Denis Irwin, Patrice Evra, Leighton Baines.

 

 

Centre Back: Marcel Desailly

Marcel Desailly

Image Source: tumblr.com

Before Chelsea signed Marcel Desailly in 1998, the French international was widely known as one of the best defenders in world football. He started his career at Nantes and played six seasons with the Canaries before moving to Marseille. He was part of the team that won the Champions League, the only one to date for a French club and the first ever Champions League.

Then he joined Milan gaining more success and trophies, so when Chelsea were successful in bringing him over, after he had just won the World Cup with France it was major news for the Premier League.

Desailly who was nicknamed the rock was an instant success at Chelsea. He commanded the Chelsea back line long before John Terry and was not afraid to come forward and assist in goals too. He was the player that stepped into the dressing room and earned his respect and players trust, a player that could sense what would happen a fraction before it did and getting a player of such quality at that time for Chelsea did raise eyebrows. Whilst he didn't win the bigger trophies with Chelsea he was still able to draw attention to the club and won some trophies with them too.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 682 (1986-2006)

Goals: 46

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 158

Goals: 6

Assists: 4

Clean Sheets: 54

 

International Career: France

Games: 116 (1993-2006)

Goals: 3

 

Major Honours:

FIFA World Cup: 1 (1998)

UEFA European Championship: 1 (2000)

FA Cup: 1 (1999/00)

UEFA Champions League: 2 (1992/93, 1993/94)

Serie A: 2 (1993/94, 1995/96)

 

Honourable mentions: Tony Adams, Vincent Kompany, Virgil van Dijk.

 

 

Centre Back: Jaap Stam

Jaap Stam

Image Source: Flovries (CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0)

Standing at 6ft 3in, Jaap Stam was such a difficult player to pass if you were an attacker and in the prime of his career there were not many better defenders in the world.

Stam spent just 4 seasons in the Premier League, which tells you everything you need to know about how good he was to end up on the greatest 11 here. Built with a dynamic reading of the game, his strength, confidence and natural ability were what caught the eye of Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. Year after year United had been denied reaching the Champions League final and were coming closer and closer. Many put Stam's arrival from PSV as a major factor in United reaching a new level. Is it any coincidence that United did reach the 1999 final in Stam's debut season with the club?

That debut season was an incredible one for Stam who helped the club win the Champions League, the Premier League title and the FA Cup. After leaving United in 2002 Stam joined Lazio, then went to play for Milan before ending his playing days at Ajax.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 415 (1992-2007)

Goals: 23

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 79

Goals: 1

Assists: 2

Clean Sheets: 22

 

International Career: Netherlands

Games: 67 (1996-2004)

Goals: 3

 

Major Honours:

Premier League: 3 (1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (1998/99)

FA Cup: 1 (1998/99)

Dutch Eredivise: 1 (1996/97)

Coppa Italia: 1 (2003/04)

 

Honourable mentions: John Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Sol Campbell.

 

 

Right Back: Gary Neville

Gary Neville

Image Source: Austin Osuide (CC BY 2.0)

Gary Neville came from the infamous class of '92', which included breaking through with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, and his brother Phil Neville. It was a unique coming together, which would shape the success of what was to come for Manchester United, and it would be instant.

Whilst Neville could be aggressive, he was tactically brilliant and his timing was second to none. An absolute born winner, his attitude infected the whole team in a positive manner and inevitably the trophies were earned and rained down on the club throughout the 1990s. Neville was fearless and could rile up the opposition even before the game in the tunnel.

Neville is known as the greatest right back to grace the Premier League from most of his peers and that includes his manager Alex Ferguson. But like some of the very best defenders in the game he wasn't afraid to come forward and attack and because of that he formed a great partnership with Beckham.

Neville was a one club man, a rarity in football and spent an incredible 19 seasons with the Man Utd, his list of honours with the club is overwhelming, and he will be remembered for many generations to come.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 400 (1992-2011)

Goals: 5

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 400

Goals: 5

Assists: 35

Clean Sheets: 148

 

International Career: England

Games: 85 (1995-2007)

Goals: 0

 

Major Honours:

Premier League: 8 (1995/96, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2006/07, 2008/09)

Champions League: 2 (1998/99, 2007/08)

FA Cup: 3 (1995/96, 1998/99, 2003/04)

 

Honourable mentions: Branislav Ivanovic, Lee Dixon, Pablo Zabaleta.

 

 

Defensive Midfield: Claude Makelele

Claude Makelele

Image Source: Football.ua (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Claude Makelele was the golden key transfer that Chelsea needed when Roman Abramovic bought the club and put millions into it to try and rival Manchester United and Arsenal and wrestle league titles from their hands. Makelele was Real Madrid's loss and Chelsea's gain when the London team were able to purchase him fairly easily after Makelele had fallen out with Madrid's president Florentino Perez over pay.

When Makelele arrived at Stamford Bridge it felt like he had been playing for the team for several seasons. He slotted straight in and his professionalism and reading of the game put Chelsea on a higher level instantly. He was the ultimate deep- lying midfield player with technical ability and his role was to guard the back four. He rarely gave the ball away and would chase down opponents to get it back into his teams possession. For his position, he was the ultimate player.

Makelele spent 5 seasons with Chelsea winning trophies in the first consistent successful era for the Blues in a generation. He left the club in 2008 and played his remaining days out at PSG just before their major takeover.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 607 (1991-2011)

Goals: 17

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 144

Goals: 2

Assists: 4

 

International Career: France

Games: 71 (1995-2008)

Goals: 0

 

Major Honours:

FIFA World Cup: Runner-up (2006)

Premier League: 2 (2004/05, 2005/06)

FA Cup: 1 (2006/07)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (2001/02)

La Liga: 2 (2000/01, 2002/03)

Ligue 1: 1 (1994/95)

Coupe de France: 1 (2009/10)

 

Honourable mentions: Roy Keane, Didier Deschamps, Javier Mascherano.

 

 

Centre Midfield: Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira

Image Source: Steindy (CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0)

Perhaps what will best be remembered with Patrick Vieira is how he was able to retain the ball in midfield. Many midfielders have been called engines, if that is fact then Vieira was working on a different horsepower altogether. For a few seasons in his absolute prime he was simply untouchable. He was part of the Arsenal team that dominated the 2003/04 season, winning the league and remaining unbeaten, the first team to achieve that feat in England since the first ever league championship in 1888 when Preston North End did it.

Vieira was signed from Milan where he only played 2 games, and Arsene Wenger turned him into a world-class player. Not only did he have a commanding player in the middle of the pitch but Vieira's game improved richly, he assisted for many goals, making the right pass at the right time. He was the lifeblood of Arsenal in the 2000s, and the Gunners felt the loss when he left the club in 2005, it is no surprise that they haven't recovered and won a title since then.

Vieira was also a tough competitor, his run ins with Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane are the stuff of legend now, and both could be hot headed. Vieira saw red on a few occasions, but he will rightly be remembered as not only a legend for Arsenal but one of the all time great players in Premier League history. He spent 11 seasons in England, with nine of those at Arsenal and two at Manchester City.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 456 (1994-2011)

Goals: 45

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 307

Goals: 31

Assists: 34

 

International career: France

Games: 107 (1997-2009)

Goals: 6

 

Major Honours:

FIFA World Cup: 1 (1998)

UEFA European Championship: 1 (2000)

Premier League: 3 (1997/98, 2001/02, 2003/04)

FA Cup: 4 (1997/98, 2001/02, 2004/05, 2010/11)

Serie A: 4 (2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2009/10)

 

Honourable mentions: Xabi Alonso, Edgar Davids, Luca Modric.

 

 

Centre Midfield: Frank Lampard

Frank Lampard

Image Source: Christopher Johnson (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Frank Lampard was tipped to be a special player and so it seemed like no surprise when he quickly went up the ranks at his first club West Ham and made his first appearance with the club aged just 16. He played 6 seasons with the Hammers before moving to Chelsea, which didn't go down well with the West Ham fans.

However the move made perfect sense; Lampard was going to be a world class player and he couldn't stay at West Ham if he was going to achieve his dreams. His move paid off and just after one season being with the club Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea and made them a major force. At this point with the many millions Chelsea now had and all of the midfielders they could now choose from the top European sides it should tell you everything that they stuck with Lampard. Lampard returned the favour by consistently playing well with a phenomenal work rate. Players would share around stories that Lampard's training was the stuff of legend, often being the first guy to arrive and the last one to leave. It all paid off as he helped Chelsea to every domestic trophy and a Champions League.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was his scoring rate. His games to goals ratio was as good as a centre forward. With 177 goals he is 5th on the all time Premier League goalscorers table, a remarkable record for a central midfielder. And his goals were memorable, important and magnificent.

For England, Lampard was often played out of position due to trying to play him as well as Scholes and Gerrard, who all played similar positions. It was a classic case of square pegs in round holes when really one of them should have been on the bench to achieve a better balance. Lampard however still managed 29 goals from 109 internationals, a better return than either Scholes or Gerrard.

Lampard spent 13 seasons with Chelsea before a surprise switch to Manchester City. He only spent one season at the club before ending his playing career in the MLS with New York City. A world-class midfielder who was somewhat underrated during his playing days.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 647 (1995-2016)

Goals: 193

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 609

Goals: 177

Assists: 102

 

International Career: England

Games: 106 (1999-2014)

Goals: 29

 

Major Honours:

Premier League: 3 (2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10

FA Cup: 4 (2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (2011/12)

UEFA Europa League: 1 (2012/13)

Ballon d'Or Silver Award: 1 (2005)

 

Honourable mentions: Paul Scholes, Ruud Gullit, Steven Gerrard, Jay-Jay Okocha.

 

 

Left wing: Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo

Image Source: Sdo216 (CC BY-SA 3.0)

We could write a book on Cristiano Ronaldo's achievements, and whilst he has played in Portugal, Spain and Italy there is no denying that he is also a genuine Premier League great.

Alex Ferguson had been after a truly gifted player for years, sometimes he would make bids that would fail (Hernan Crespo) and other times he would think he had got his man (Bebe). But in the summer of 2003 an 18 year old Ronaldo was signed up by United. Whilst he showed flashes of brilliance in his early years at United, earning praise from his peers it wasn't until his 4th season with the club that he started to grow into the player we know today.

He became a team player as well as showing his outrageous skills and his pace became even more electrifying. His step overs worked, his goals were sublime and in the light of Chelsea taking over as the number 1 club in England, United bounced back to win a hat trick of titles and the Champions League and this was largely down to Ronaldo, who everyone now knew was a world class player.

Ronaldo spent 6 seasons in the Premier League. In his last two he gave a strong hint that he would turn into a goal scoring machine, scoring 49 goals from just 67 games. He was transferred to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then world record fee of £80m. At Madrid he continued to score many goals and win trophies including an incredible 4 Champions Leagues, 3 of which were won in a row. His list of trophies as a player is incredible, just see below. For some Ronaldo will go down as the very greatest player to have graced English football even though the majority of his career was spent in La Liga with Real Madrid. Currently he is scoring goals and winning leagues yet again this time with Juventus, it will be a sad day when he has to hang up his boots.

* = The following stats are based on Cristiano Ronaldo's playing career up to the time this article was written (April 2020) as he is still an active footballer.

 

Senior Club Career*:

Games: 568 (2002-2020)

Goals: 441

 

Premier League Career*:

Games: 196

Goals: 84

Assists: 34

 

International Career*: Portugal

Games: 164 (2003-2020)

Goals: 99

 

Major Honours*:

UEFA European Championship: 1 (2016)

Ballon d'Or Winner: 5 (2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017)

Premier League: 3 (2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09)

UEFA Champions League: 5 (2007/08, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18)

FA Cup: 1 (2003/04)

La Liga: 2 (2011/12, 2016/17)

Copa del Rey: 2 (2010/11, 2013/14)

Serie A: 1 (2018/19)

 

Honourable mentions: Ryan Giggs, Robert Pires, Gareth Bale, Eden Hazard.

 

 

Right Wing: Arjen Robben

Arjen Robben

Image Source: Football.ua (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Arjen Robben had a left foot to die for, his numerous goals running in from the right and striking with his left are legendary, and though he only spent 3 short seasons in the Premier League, he is one of the most gifted players to have played in England.

Robben's time in England was with Chelsea who had just been taken over by Roman Abramovich and were heading in the right direction. Chelsea bought Robben from PSV and he instantly impressed. Creating chances, scoring goals, his pace was undeniable and the opposition actually looked worried when he had the ball.

Robben was integral to Chelsea picking up their first league titles since the 1950s and gelled quickly with the team. His transfer to Real Madrid was seen as a mistake for Chelsea. Robben went on to improve the teams he joined and win multiple trophies. His best memories will probably be with Bayern Munich where he spent 10 seasons with the German giants and went down as a legend with the club.

Robben showed all of his skills to help guide his national side Netherlands into the 2010 World Cup final where they eventually lost to Spain 1-0. It was the Netherlands first World Cup final since 1978.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 420 (2000-2019)

Goals: 151

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 67

Goals: 15

Assists: 16

 

International Career: Netherlands

Games: 96 (2003-2017)

Goals: 37

 

Major Honours:

FIFA World Cup: Runner-up (2010)

Premier League: 2 (2004/05, 2005/06)

FA Cup: 1 (2006/07)

La Liga: 1 (2007/08)

Bundesliga: 8 (2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19)

Eredivisie: 1 (2002/03)

DFB Pokal: 5 (2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, 2018/19)

UEFA Champions League: 1 (2012/13)

 

Honourable mentions: David Beckham, Mohamed Salah, Andrei Kanchelskis.

 

 

Centre Forward: Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry

Image Source: Mark L (CC BY-SA 2.0)

It's almost unfathomable to think that Thierry Henry was once a winger who struggled to score goals for Monaco and Juventus. In the Premier League the sheer mention of his name would make any defender quiver in fear. Not only did Henry score so many goals, he also teased with his opponents. He was a player perhaps a decade ahead of his time, and surely the greatest Arsenal player of all time.

Whilst Arsene Wenger was frequently criticised towards the end of his managerial career with the Gunners, in bringing Henry into the side, giving him the confidence that the player needed, recognizing his qualities and changing his position to a classic centre forward, he made one of the great managerial decisions.

Henry was a goal-scoring machine who changed the work ethic at Arsenal and ended up commanding the best. He could score tap-ins, score spectacular goals and for the fans had a knack of scoring against their bitter rivals, Tottenham. He would also score against Manchester United, Arsenal's main contender for the league at that time.

Under Henry Arsenal clearly went up another level and even though they did not win the Champions League they reached the final, something they have never looked like doing since he left the club. Henry was involved in the unbeaten side of the 2003/04 season, which will forever be remembered. He is clearly one of the greatest players to have graced the league and he underlined just how great he was when he left Arsenal for Barcelona to play alongside Lionel Messi, scoring goals and making them in a very different league and environment. Henry would later join New York Red Bulls in the MLS scoring 51 times from 122 appearances and and also played a further 4 league games for his beloved Arsenal side when he returned back on loan in the 2011/12 season.

 

Senior Club Career:

Games: 581 (1994-2012)

Goals: 284

 

Premier League Career:

Games: 258

Goals: 175

Assists: 74

 

International Career: France

Games: 123 (1997-2010)

Goals: 51

 

Major Honours:

Ballon d'Or: Runner-up (2003)

FIFA World Cup: 1 (1998), Runner-up (2006)

UEFA European Championship: 1 (2000)

Premier League: 2 (2001/02, 2003/04)

FA Cup: 2 (2001/02, 2002/03)

La Liga: 2 (2008/09, 2009/10)

Ligue 1: 1 (1996/97)

Copa del Rey: 1 (2008/09)

Champions League: 1 (2008/09)

 

Honourable mentions: Alan Shearer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Sergio Aguero.

 

 

Summary:

So there you have it, our greatest XI to have ever graced the English Premier League.

Greatest Premier League XI in formation

Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Did you always prefer Gerrard over Lampard, or Shearer over Henry, or would you have put Roy Keane into any greatest XI team? We'd love to hear your opinions.



Leave a Comment

Andrew Clarke 19-4-2020 2:16 pm
Gerrard ahead of Lampard. FL a great player and one of their club greats, however what Gerrard did at Liverpool with some mediocre teammates is unmatched and next level. The guy bleed LFC and won so many games through his own work rate, skill and determination.
Reply
Top Football Tipster 5-5-2020 2:36 pm
Thanks for your comment Andrew. I agree Gerrard was LFC during his time there, a great player, and certainly had a better defensive contribution than Lampard, so you could say a more all round central midfielder. However in the position of the most attacking of the 3 central midfielders in our formation, I can't think of a single CM in any league or recent era who could match Lampard's consistent attacking output. He went 10 consecutive seasons scoring 10+ goals (not including cup games), 1 of which was a 22 goal season, and 5 of those seasons were 20+ goals if including cup games. Gerrard had 4 seasons with 10+ goals. Lampard also had a better shooting accuracy (36% compared to 34%) and goals per game ratio (0.29 compared to 0.24). I think Lampard often gets less credit due to his style of play, he wasn't the kind to run 50 yards with the ball going past 3 players in the process. He didn't need to though, his movement off the ball combined with his first touch, ball control, and end product made him the best goal scoring central midfielder i can think of, not to mention his numerous assists. Both great players but as neither a supporter of Chelsea or Liverpool I would pick Lampard every time.
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