The 10 best Premier League wingers of all time ranked | OneFootball

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The role of a winger has changed quite drastically since the inception of the Premier League back in 1992. In its embryonic years, a winger in the English top flight was instructed to hug the touchline in the traditional, old-school 4-4-2 formation and told to whip in pinpoint crosses for a big centre-forward to attack.

These days, wide players are essentially unorthodox strikers and the very best in the position are now expected to grab at least 15 goals a season. One of the greatest wide players we have seen in the modern era was certainly Eden Hazard, who made the English top flight his playground during his many years at Chelsea. Having decided to retire at the age of 32, he goes down in history as one of the best wingers to play in the Premier League.

But where does he rank compared to some of the other greats? Selecting the Premier League's greatest-ever winger is a pretty tough job, especially because of the changes to the role, but it's not something we've shirked away from. By picking our brains, we’ve narrowed an extensive list down to the top 10 wingers that have graced the division over the years.

Does Mohamed Salah's partner in crime, Sadio Mane, make the list? Where do the likes of Gareth Bale and David Beckham rank? And most importantly, who takes the top spot? Read on to see whether your team’s most memorable winger – whether it was for their bamboozling trickery or knack for goalscoring – makes the list below…

10 Freddie Ljunberg

Many Premier League fans will have a vivid memory of a red-haired Swede – in the name of Ljungberg – flying down the wing and terrorising full-backs like it was going out of fashion. Pivotal in Arsenal’s success following the turn of the millennium, Ljunberg plundered 17 goals in his 39-game 2002 season as his side picked up the double. That wasn't the only silverware he collected either, and he ended up getting his hands on two league titles and three FA Cups during his nine-year stay in north London before he moved on to West Ham. The combination between the Arsenal front line, in which he was a pivotal part of, was a joy to behold. Tenth spot for you, Freddie.

9 David Ginola

Incredibly, the Frenchman pipped the entirety of Manchester United’s treble-winning squad to the PFA Player of the Year award in 1999 – he was that influential. At both Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur, Ginola exuded confidence and class, exhibiting skill in abundance which left opposing defenders bamboozled. It's a shame that he didn't win more trophies during his time in England, with the 1999 League Cup his sole bit of silverware with Tottenham. Ginola is actually underrated by many in the present day, though those who had the pleasure of watching him will understand exactly why he cracks this top 10.

8 Sadio Mane

While things didn’t seem to swing in his favour once he had joined Bayern Munich, there’s no disputing what a fantastic footballer the Senegal international was in Merseyside, rival or not. Often overshadowed by then teammate Salah, the telepathy he shared with the Egyptian and their supporting act Roberto Firmino was quite something. Scoring more than ten goals in all eight of his campaigns in the Premier League, Mane was named in the PFA Team of the Year on four occasions and won the Golden Boot in 2019 with a more-than-impressive 22 goals to his name. By the time he left Anfield with a Champions League and Premier League winners medal to his name, he was widely regarded as one of the best wide men to play in the division in modern-times, and he earns a spot among the great wingers here too.

7 Ryan Giggs

Giggs won trophies for fun at Manchester United. 13 Premier League titles, a mammoth 632 appearances and 109 goals – need we say more? The one-club wonder rose to prominence through the Carrington ranks and to this day tops the Premier League’s rankings for most assists. A key part of Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning side in 1999, the Welshman was barely dislodged from his spot until he pulled the curtains on his playing career in 2014. Considering his longevity and everything that he won, it's a little surprising to only find him seventh in this list. But that proves just how many talented wingers fans have been able to watch over the years.

6 David Beckham

In the midst of the fanfare and stardom, the Essex-born ace was a superb footballer. Beckham, now owner of Inter Miami, opted for a move to Real Madrid as he edged into the peak of his powers, but his legacy in the Premier League will continue to live on. The man scored free kicks for fun, played outrageous passes with ease to create numerous goals for his teammates, and helped his side win a multitude of silverware, including the treble in 1999 when he put in an exceptional performance in the Champions League final. Consistently excellent over his number of years in a Manchester United strip, the former England captain’s half-way line goal against Wimbledon epitomises his DNA. Audacity. Fearlessness. Talent.

5 Gareth Bale

Signed as a promising left-back from Southampton, the golf-crazy Welshman became a scintillating wide man in north London, known for his devastating left foot. During his six-year stay at White Hart Lane, Bale scored 71 goals in 236 games, and he assisted his teammates 58 times too. Aside from his PFA Player of the Year awards and other individual honours, he left the capital club empty-handed trophy wise when Real Madrid broke the bank for a then world-record fee of £85m, but he went on to amalgamate a trophy-ladened cabinet. Maybe he has Harry Redknapp – his inaugural manager at Spurs – to thank for his glittering career for putting him on the left flank.

4 Eden Hazard

Hazard was the complete package at Chelsea, scoring 85 goals and winning the PFA Players' Player of the Year in 2014/15. An absolute nuisance with the ball at his feet – for the opposition, at least – the pint-sized Belgian has now hung the boots up on an illustrious career and will be well remembered for the smiles he put on faces during his west London stint. In his seven-season spell at the club, Hazard won the Premier League twice, an FA Cup, a League Cup and the Europa League twice, too - in 2013 and 2019. Many pundits and fans alike often run out of superlatives to describe the lovable wide man – he’s the type of player that ‘you just had to be there’ for. Happy retirement, Eden!

3 Robert Pires

Pires was a slightly more traditional winger, but was also a goalscorer, and he's one of the best dribblers to grace the Premier League - a truly unique player. When Thierry Henry would – uncharacteristically, we should add – go missing, Pires would often carry the burden of sprucing the Gunners into winning ways and was most notably an integral figure in the iconic ‘Invincibles’ season. That year, he bagged 14 league goals and nine assists too en route to Arsenal lifting the famous gold trophy, which proved to be the second of his six-year stay at Highbury.

2 Mohamed Salah

Salah has scored 192 goals since signing for Liverpool in 2017 and is quite comfortably one of the best players in the world right now – and he has been for a while. Wingers are not typically known for being consistent, but since touching down on Merseyside soil, Salah has been nothing but an ever-reliable figure for Jürgen Klopp and his entourage. The Egyptian King has scored no less than 19 league goals in a season since arriving at Anfield, and his efforts have resulted in the Reds' most successful period in many years. Many eyebrows were raised as he returned to England after a failed stint at Chelsea, though time after time he has proven to the west Londoners why they made such a poor decision. Already a Liverpool legend, and he's not done yet either.

1 Cristiano Ronaldo

Considered one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League, Ronaldo takes the top spot. A perennial goalscorer everywhere he plies his trade, he redefined the role of a winger at United, scoring a ridiculous number of goals and scooping the Ballon d'Or in 2008. He remains – to this day - the last footballer to win the award while playing for an English team. A bonafide Premier League legend. Deciding between Salah and Ronaldo was a hard call to make, but the Portuguese's Ballon d'Or-winning season in 2007/08 was the decisive factor. 39 goals, eight assists, a Premier League and Champions League winner too - we may never see an individual campaign from a Premier League player quite like that again.