The 21 hardest footballers of the Premier League era ranked | OneFootball

Highlights

There are some players that garner a reputation for their lethal – and sometimes reckless – approach to the game. The ‘hardman’ is the commonly used phrase. Enforcer is another term, but one thing is for sure – every team needs one.

Often at the heart of any team’s success, they would leave no stone unturned while often becoming a fan favourite because that extra oomph is sometimes missing in the modern game. Be it Roy Keane rampaging around Old Trafford, kicking any opposition player who gave him a moment of stick, or the combative Patrick Vieira putting his stamp on a game, certain players just have a reputation of being a tough guy to maintain.

The English top-flight has been lucky enough to home some of the most notorious hardmen football has had to offer over the years, with there being no shortage of players who loved a tough tackle or a scrap. But who were the roughest of the bunch? Well, the team at GIVEMESPORT have assembled a list of 21 players who fit the 'hardman' mould, and have ranked them based on factors like their disciplinary record, what they were like as a player, and the stories that have been told by other players that have become woven into football folklore. Without further ado, let's get into the list. Make sure you have your shinpads on...

21 Joey Barton

Manchester City, Newcastle United, QPR, Burnley

Just as well known for his off-pitch violence, Joey Barton was never too far from trouble on it too. Despite not being your typical imposing central midfielder, you’d be counting your lucky stars if you came away from a duel with him unscathed.

Kneeing Sergio Aguero in the back to be sent off brings truth to his hardman persona, with Barton subsequently given a 12-match ban for his actions. Numerous other incidents on the pitch give weight to his inclusion, including the fact he punched Morten Gamst Pedersen during Newcastle's 2-1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers.

Manchester City

Remember his infamous ‘challenge’ when he so politely placed his studs on Xabi Alonso’s chest? Alonso may not thank us but that in itself earns Nigel de Jong a spot on this list, with the challenge so hard-hitting that it impacted how much Alonso could celebrate after the World Cup final victory.

Never one to shy away from a tough challenge, and certainly someone who fits the description of 'midfield enforcer', De Jong grew up in a tough neighbourhood and became accustomed to having to 'stand up for yourself', which means his on-pitch tenacity comes from a deeper place. Maybe that's why it looked so natural for the hatchetman.

19 Stig Tofting

Stig Tofting was someone who was never afraid of a fight. Nicknamed 'The Lawnmower', he had a tendency to make a rash challenge and even warned Blackburn Rovers to expect a ‘war’ during their six-pointer affair against Bolton back in 2000.

Partnered with Thomas Gravesen for Denmark, the midfielder was one half of one of football’s most feared midfield pairings. He was also someone who made headlines off the field, with him being charged with assault after a row infamously broke out in a cafe in Copenhagen back in 2002. You don't mess with someone who has connections to the Hells Angels...

18 Kevin Davies

The centre-forward’s job is to score goals and Kevin Davies did just that as he racked up 87 goals during his time in the English top flight. But it’s very telling that his yellow card rate (99) exceeded his goal tally (87), despite his sole duty of finding the back of the net.

The former Bolton man committed 605 fouls during his time in the English top-flight, the second-most in the history of the league behind only Gareth Barry. Also third for most yellow cards in the competition's history, behind Barry once again and also Wayne Rooney, Davies certainly wasn't afraid of a little confrontation.

17 David Batty

Many midfielders don’t mind sitting back, doing the dirty work, and letting their other teammates bask in the limelight. David Batty was inherently that man, with the midfielder picking up 78 yellow cards during his time at Leeds, Newcastle and Blackburn.

If you want further evidence of his hardman status, we refer you to his clash with Manchester United's Nicky Butt, and also to the time when he fought with his own teammate, Graeme Le Saux, in 1995 during Blackburn's Champions League match against Spartak Moscow. That all kicked off just minutes into the game too!

16 Lee Bowyer

Scrapping with your teammate mid-game and getting sent off? Tick. Le Saux and Batty might be a notable incident of teammates having a fight, but the most memorable case of it all kicking off was between Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer.

Bowyer’s flared temper was often his downfall considering the talent he possessed, but he was just one of those players who could argue with himself and start a fight in an empty room, all while gaining the attention of those around him for being such a headcase. Getting stuck into the opposition as well as his own teammates, the Englishman accumulated seven red cards while at Newcastle, Birmingham, West Ham, and Leeds United.

15 Nemanja Vidic

The imposing Serb was your typical no-nonsense enforcer at the back and while he was reliable for the most part, his playing career was sprinkled with the odd ‘lost your head’ type tackle. Often pictured playing on with a bloody head, reminiscent of Terry Butcher, Nemanja Vidic really embodied the fear-no-man attitude.

He was never really that ill-tempered, but he was the epitome of ‘I’ll put my head where others were afraid to put their boot’. Never afraid to confront an opposition player over an issue on the pitch, as Mario Balotelli found out in 2011, there weren't many who messed with the Manchester United man.

14 Neil ‘Razor’ Ruddock

Liverpool, West Ham, Tottenham

Not afraid to shy away from fellow hardmen, Neil Ruddock had famous altercations with both Eric Cantona and Patrick Vieira during his time on the pitch. He was your archetypal brute who wasn’t afraid to use his dominant size to bully opposition for the full 90 minutes, which resonated well with his nickname ‘Razor’.

To summarise how much of a nutcase he was, he was once asked who he enjoyed kicking the most. To which he replied, per talkSPORT:

Forget your Thierry Henrys and your Dennis Bergkamps, it was the Martin Keowns that could pull you through thick and thin to reign victorious in those must-win games. One of Arsenal’s battering rams during their most successful stint as a football club, every team needs a player like the defender.

Be it chasing after Ruud van Nistelrooy at the 'Battle of Old Trafford' or playing through the pain barrier after being elbowed in the head by Newcastle's Alan Shearer, Keown was as tough and as confrontational as they came in the north London ranks. Accumulating 82 yellow cards and nine red cards during his club playing days, he was only one of many enforcers for the Gunners at that time. But more on the others later...

12 Julian Dicks

West Ham, Liverpool

Nicknamed ‘The Terminator’, need more be said? When he wasn't blasting penalties past hapless goalkeepers, Julian Dicks was probably gearing up for a knee-high challenge. He relished his steely image, but so too did opposing players, with Dennis Wise famously two-footing him in 1990.

The West Ham icon was sent off an impressive nine times during his career, highlighting his poor discipline on the football pitch. Speaking in June 2023, Dicks told BBC Radio 5 Live that he doesn't think he could play in the modern era because of his combative nature.

11 Thomas Gravesen

The bald Dane had to make the list, especially alongside his double-act partner, Tofting. Impressed so much by his tenacious persona on the field, Mike Tyson – that’s right, Mike Tyson – was snapped donning a Denmark shirt with Thomas Gravesen imprinted on the back.

To leave such an impression on someone of Tyson’s ilk earns you a rightful spot in this ranking, with Gravesen getting into scraps with opposition players and teammates alike, infamously getting involved in a training ground fight with Robinho while at Real Madrid in 2006 where he wanted to "kill him". When you get given the nickname, 'Mad Dog' on top of all the above, you just have to feature in a hardman list.

10 Mark Hughes

Mark Hughes was subtle. At face value, the centre-forward is more prominent for his grace and power during his colourful career. But he fought hard for the ball, and thanks to his tree-trunk-like legs and his innate physicality made him a nuisance to contain, he was a tough lad to take on in the middle of the pitch.

Hughes was not just a hardman during his playing days, but also during his managerial career too. In May 2023, the Bradford manager decided to confront Crewe striker Chris Long after he scored a 101st-minute penalty and proceeded to taunt the former United and Chelsea man. Clearly, that 'take no prisoners' attitude is still something he abides by to this day. It would have been intriguing to see who would have won when Joey Barton challenged him to a fight...

9 Terry Hurlock

Southampton

As nuts as 'Razor' Ruddock was, even he insisted that Terry Hurlock was a different breed. When asked “What is your favourite animal?” he replied with the midfielder’s name, which is arguably the biggest compliment the Englishman may have ever received, but he earned it.

Dubbed ‘Terry Warlock’, Ruddock revealed that Hurlock once ripped a pub door out of a wall when asked what he was going to do to Vinnie Jones when Millwall played Wimbledon, something which left his teammate in shock. Unfortunately for him, though, Wimbledon went on to win the game. We're cheating a little bit with this one as Hurlock's games in the Premier League were very limited. But he did play in the modern-day top-flight, so he makes it in.

Tony Adams was a leader by nature, someone who was as tough as they came, and fundamentally, a defender who prided themselves on being good at, well, defending. 'Mr. Arsenal' never let his personal life problems (his jail time for drunk driving) trickle into his performances on the pitch, and thanks to his toughness, he was a mainstay in both George Graham's and Arsene Wenger's respective back lines. A proper football redemption story!

A tough tackler who was never afraid to get stuck in, Adams is often considered one of the finest defenders in the Premier League era. 52 yellow cards and five reds prove his aggression sometimes got the better of him, however, but they simply don't make them like Adams anymore.

7 Jaap Stam

Centre-forwards understood they were in for a long day at the office if this man's name appeared on the opposing team sheet. An underrated asset of Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United backbone in the late 1990s, Jaap Stam took no prisoners once he put on the famous red.

He possessed an uneasy stare enough to strike fear into any opponent, so nobody messed with the Dutchman. Be it battling on the football pitch with Duncan Ferguson during United's match against Newcastle or getting right in the mix when Arsenal hosted the Red Devils, the hard-tackling, no-nonsense defender gave his opponents no quarter in matches during his career.

6 Stuart Pearce

England’s hardman earned the nickname ‘psycho’ during his playing days and that really says it all. The former West Ham United man earned his moniker for his terror-induced tackling, his fierce stare and matter-of-fact style of play, with Matt Le Tissier describing him as the scariest opponent he ever faced in his autobiography.

Aside from the nickname and all that, Stuart Pearce was just a tough player all around, something which is perfectly summarised by the fact he tried to play on during a match between West Ham and Watford despite breaking his leg. Manager Harry Redknapp revealed after the game Pearce wanted to give it a go after half-time, per The Guardian.

5 Vinnie Jones

Wimbledon FC, Chelsea

Not only on the football pitch has Vinnie Jones embraced the hardman label but also in the film industry, too. He was the spearhead of Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’, who turned to battling and bruising their way to FA Cup glory against Liverpool – and it was the scary Welshman at the forefront of it all.

Picking up seven red cards during his playing days despite playing fewer than 200 games, he became the first person to get three red cards in a season during the 1995/96 campaign. His tough tackling videos make for some watch, and footballers would have breathed a sigh of relief when Jones swapped kicking players for acting. If you haven't seen him in action, go and spend the next hour or so watching his compilations on YouTube!

4 Patrick Vieira

Arsenal, Manchester City

Well-known for his feud with Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira – similarly to many names on this list – earned as status as a ‘hardman’ for not backing down, regardless of the opposition. All football fans will know if you were willing to go toe-to-toe with Keane, you couldn't have been all there.

Be it clashing on the pitch or in the tunnel at Highbury, his rivalry with the Irishman really does carry him up this list. An astute passer who had an eye for goal, Vieira left a gap in the Arsenal set-up upon his departure, but not just for his technical ability. He is simply irreplaceable.

3 Mick Harford

Wimbledon FC, Chelsea, Coventry

Mick Harford, Luton through and through, spent most of his playing career playing outside of the Premier League era. As he called time on his career in 1998, however, we are still free to include him in this list. And there are more than a few memorable battles to remember him by,

Speaking to the Daily Mail in 2017, Harford admitted that he tried to hurt Sam Allardyce when Luton played Huddersfield in the FA Cup at Kenilworth Road, launching into two-footed challenges and throwing elbows to try and leave a mark on him after Allardyce had left him with a scar in a previous meeting during a match between Coventry and Birmingham. But his hardman persona was perhaps best summed up by Martin Keown, who revealed Harford left him with some pretty hefty damage after the two came together.

“His favourite trick was to come from side on and smash you with his forearm. I had to have a nerve taken out of my teeth because he hit me so hard.”

2 Roy Keane

Manchester United, Nottingham Forest

There’s no doubt in the footballing sphere that Roy Keane was a wonderful footballer, but it was his extra bite into tackles which earned him the respect but also - at times – the disrespect of his teammates and opponents. Just ask Alf-Inge Haaland, who was on the receiving end of a challenge widely regarded as one of the worst in Premier League history.

Also famous for his memorable battles with the previously mentioned Vieira, his lovable personality has trickled over into his punditry career. You can spot him sat next to the likes of Gary Neville and Micah Richards, bemoaning about how ‘football has changed’.