Ronaldo, Rooney, Henry, Salah: Premier League's 30 greatest players ranked | OneFootball

The Premier League has been blessed with a plethora of world-class players over the years.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry, Steven Gerrard and Eric Cantona are just a few of the legendary names that have featured in England’s top tier since 1992.

But who is the greatest player in Premier League history?

We’ve attempted to name the 30 greatest players to have played on English shores in the last 30 years.

It’s a very tough task and we apologise in advance if you disagree with some of the rankings…

30. Petr Cech

Cech was a brilliant servant for Chelsea and also enjoyed success at Arsenal. He isn’t the highest ranked goalkeeper on our list, though…

29. Cesc Fabregas

An elegant midfielder, Fabregas was superb for both Arsenal and Chelsea. He won two Premier League titles with the latter.

28. David Silva

Silva was the definition of a magician. He recorded 93 assists in the Premier League, this sixth most in history.

27. Virgil van Dijk

Van Dijk was one of the best defenders in the Premier League with Southampton. He has become one of the best defenders in Premier League history with Liverpool.

26. Andy Cole

Cole scored 187 Premier League goals. Only two players have scored more.

25. Eden Hazard

Hazard arrived at Chelsea with a lofty reputation and he showed why there was such a battle for his signature. He won two Premier League titles with Chelsea and won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in 2015.

24. Vincent Kompany

One of the best captains in Premier League history. Kompany guided Man City to four Premier League titles.

23. Nemanja Vidic

Vidic and Rio Ferdinand formed a truly fearsome partnership at the back for Man United.

22. Peter Schmeichel

The greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history. The Dane won five Premier League titles with Man United and went on to feature for Aston Villa and Man City.

21. David Beckham

Beckham doesn’t quite get the credit he deserves. The best set-piece taker in Premier League history.

20. Kevin De Bruyne

De Bruyne has done and continues to do remarkable things on the football pitch for City. Still just 31 years old, De Bruyne could move up the list even further.

19. Harry Kane

Kane would be further up the list had he won the Premier League. Kane, just 28, is currently 76 goals away from becoming the highest goal scorer in Premier League history.

18. Didier Drogba

Drogba was an absolute nightmare to play against. He had everything a top striker needs and always turned up in the big games.

17. Mohamed Salah

At the time of writing, Salah has scored 121 goals in 194 Premier League games. An incredible tally for a winger.

16. Ashley Cole

Cole is the greatest left-back in Premier League history and it’s not even close.

15. Dennis Bergkamp

Has there been a more technically gifted player in Premier League history than Bergkamp? We don’t think so.

14. Sergio Aguero

A truly lethal striker. Aguero scored 184 Premier League goals in 275 games for Man City.

13. Rio Ferdinand

Ferdinand was a Rolls-Royce of a defender. He was named in the PFA Team of the Year on six occasions.

12. John Terry

Terry was a truly combative defender who gave absolutely everything to win when on the pitch.

11. Roy Keane

10. Patrick Vieira

Vieira’s battles with Keane are etched in Premier League history. We’ve just given him the nod over his great rival, but it really is close.

9. Paul Scholes

Scholes didn’t get the credit he deserved during his playing days. It’s only after he retired that people started to recognise how much of a genius he was.

8. Frank Lampard

Lampard put up extraordinary numbers season after season. His tally of 177 Premier League goals is just ridiculous for a midfielder.

7. Steven Gerrard

Gerrard had no weaknesses to his game. He could easily have gone elsewhere and won plenty more trophies but he stayed loyal to Liverpool. It’s just a shame he never won the Premier League title.

6. Eric Cantona

Cantona’s time in the Premier League wasn’t long, but boy did he make his mark. He won four Premier League titles in five seasons with United. A true maverick.

5. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo became one of the best players in the world during his first spell at Man United. He returned in his late 30s and showed he was still one of the world’s best.

4. Ryan Giggs

Giggs’ longevity may never be matched. He played 963 times for Man United and helped them to 34 trophies.

3. Alan Shearer

Shearer is the Premier League’s highest goal scorer, having hit the back of the net 260 times. His record may come under threat from Kane in the next few years.

2. Wayne Rooney

Rooney was an animal when he burst onto the scene with Everton at the age of just 16. A move to Man United followed and he became one of the greatest players in the club’s history. Another who perhaps doesn’t get the respect he deserves.

1. Thierry Henry

There are few that will argue against Henry being the greatest player in Premier League history. He scored 175 league goals for Arsenal in 258 games and played a pivotal role in their invincible season in 2003/04.