The 50 greatest Premier League players of all time | OneFootball

Talent has been abundant throughout the Premier League’s existence, but with all of the opinions in the world of football, it is hard to ever nail down the undisputed best-ever player in the history of the league since its inception in 1992. This is a debate that most football fans have had among themselves over the years. In truth, there isn't a right or wrong answer; opinions are subjective.

Still, we all love to put our points across, and there have certainly been some outstanding players that have graced the Premier League since it began almost three decades ago. From dominant defenders to electric wingers to clinical goalscorers - the division has seen it all over the years.

So many incredible football players have passed through the English game, which makes it increasingly difficult to rank them all in some sort of coherent order, but we have given it a shot.

Our ranking factors

The main factors taken into account when ordering these players were as follows:

It almost goes without saying that both team and individual honours factor into this debate, although some players' individual brilliance is enough to make it onto the list, despite their lack of team achievements. For attackers, wingers and attack-minded midfield players, goals and assists are a vital part of the game and thus, these are two of the main factors used when looking at those players.

For goalkeepers, defenders, and defensive midfielders, clean sheets are also hugely factored into the equation. It is often the case that the forward-thinking players tend to get the majority of the spotlight, but we have tried our best to give the wonderful defensive players we have seen some well-deserved recognition.

Here, we've given it our best shot at rating the top 50 players to have featured in the Premier League. But do you agree? Find out below...

50 Denis Irwin

We start with Mr. Dependable. There will be more glamourous names on this list, but few were as consistent as Irwin was throughout the 1990s for Sir Alex Ferguson's all-conquering Manchester United team. Despite being right-footed, Irwin spent most of his career at Old Trafford at left-back and did a fine job linking up with Ryan Giggs down that flank.

The 56-cap international was also a reliable penalty-taker. Fans tend to enjoy debating who would make it into an all-time Premier League XI, and although Irwin may not be everyone's first choice, he would certainly be in the conversation for the left-back spot along with another man that will be discussed later on this list.

49 Gareth Barry

Simply for longevity, Barry deserves his place on this list. He has made the most Premier League appearances in history (653), which is a record that he should be proud of. He had to wait patiently for a big move but it came in 2009 when he was signed by Manchester City, and he went on to win the title and the FA Cup under Roberto Mancini.

The majority of the Englishman's career was spent with Aston Villa after coming through the youth ranks at Villa Park in the late 1990s before going on to represent the club at senior level for more than a decade. As City began to emerge as a dominant financial power, Barry made the switch to the Etihad and went on to win a Premier League title and an FA Cup before stints at Everton and West Brom closed out his career at the top level.

48 Jamie Carragher

Carragher was never able to win the title at Liverpool, but he was a mainstay of the back four for 15 years, and that warrants recognition. Initially being used as a make-shift right-back in his early days with the club, Carragher then moved into the middle of the back four alongside Sami Hyypia and formed a great connection with the Finnish centre-back.

Racking up 508 appearances in the top flight, he consistently delivered the goods for the Reds and helped them win pretty much every other major trophy on offer, including the Champions League in 2005. Liverpool's victory over AC Milan in that 2005 final is largely seen as the greatest Champions League comeback of all time and Carragher was immense at the back for his side. It may not be in the Premier League, but this game shows exactly what the former vice-captain was all about, putting his body on the line for his beloved club.

47 Dwight Yorke

Around the turn of the century, there were few better strikers in world football than Yorke. He netted 29 goals in all competitions in United's treble-winning campaign and then followed that up by scoring a further 24 the year after. Yorke was deadly in front of goal, and cannot be overlooked given how important he was during a very successful period in United's history.

In fact, with all the incredible goalscorers Old Trafford has been home to, Yorke ranks among Manchester United's greatest-ever strikers. Even before joining the Red Devils, the former Trinidad and Tobago forward was banging in goals for Aston Villa which only adds to the legacy he leaves behind him in the Premier League.

46 Cesar Azpilicueta

In his nine-year stay at Chelsea, Azpilicueta has won the Premier League twice, and he lifted the Champions League trophy for the first time in 2021. Capable of playing on either flank or as part of a back three, he is the ultimate modern-day defender.

During Antonio Conte's reign as manager, Azpilicueta reinvented himself into a solid central defender alongside David Luiz and Gary Cahill. The Blues went on a sensational run to win the Premier League title under the Italian manager after his switch to this set-up and the Spaniard's versatility was crucial to making it all possible. He was always there to cover in a wing-back role when required and was later rewarded for his service to the club with the captaincy.

45 Claude Makelele

Makelele brought something different to the Premier League. His ability to protect the back four with his outstanding positional awareness had not been seen before. That role is now named after him, so he had to make this list. Some players have entered the division and excelled in the role, but none have ever played it quite like Makelele.

In terms of ability and accomplishments, the Frenchman could have perhaps ranked higher on this list after being a key part of José Mourinho's championship-winning side in 2005 and 2006. He did only spend five years in England however, as he moved back to his homeland to play for Paris Saint-Germain in 2008 and this slightly counts against him with others having many more years in the competition under their belts.

44 Robbie Fowler

Fowler burst onto the scene in the mid-90s, scoring 25 league goals in 1994/95, and then 28 in 1995/96. After an electric start to his career, he was never quite able to replicate these numbers again; hence he is not further up this list. Liverpool fans will always have a special bond with their former talisman and he is still regarded as one of the greatest finishers the club has ever seen.

Fowler once netted the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history with a treble of goals against Arsenal at Anfield inside five minutes. This record was eventually bettered after more than two decades by another man who would go on to represent the Reds in the form of Sadio Mane. Fowler is part of the Premier League 100 club, although stints at Man City and Leeds United didn't do his time on Merseyside justice.

43 David Seaman

Seaman was able to continue playing into his forties at the highest level, making him one of the oldest Premier League players in history. The 6 foot 4 shot-stopper was a reliable presence in goal for Arsenal for over a decade, winning the Premier League twice and the FA Cup on four occasions with the club.

There is only one goalkeeper on this list who has kept more clean sheets in the Premier League - more on him later - as Seaman managed 141 shut-outs during his playing days. The shot-stopper was once seen as the top goalie in the country with his iconic appearance of long hair and a very prominent moustache making him even more memorable to supporters.

42 Gary Neville

United's right-back for over 15 years, and a very good one at that. The older Neville brother has now become known for his punditry, but he was also very successful as a player, forming an excellent partnership with David Beckham down the right-hand side for Ferguson's side.

He is often placed in the all-time Premier League XIs that were previously mentioned but is still given very little fanfare. It is only fair to give Neville his flowers as he had the very difficult task of succeeding Roy Keane as the captain at Old Trafford and the transition appeared seamless to the outside world at least. This just goes to show the leadership qualities Neville possessed to go along with his underrated ability on the pitch.

41 Robert Pires

A key member of 'The Invincibles' Pires was a graceful player, but he could also chip in with vital contributions in the final third. Across three seasons between 2002 and 2005, he scored 43 top-flight goals for the Gunners - those are numbers that can't be sniffed at.

Opposition defenders knew they were in for an awful time when they saw Pires and Thierry Henry line up for the Gunners as the French duo formed an exceptional partnership at Highbury. The winger was so light-footed for a man of his size and stature, with his pace and power adding to the ability he had in possession of the football. Pires deserves to go down as one of the best Premier League wingers of all time.

40 Jamie Vardy

Vardy only played his first Premier League game at the age of 27, but he has more than made up for lost time. By netting 24 league goals in 2015/16, he helped Leicester pull off a miracle as they won the title, and he has been a consistent goalscorer ever since for the Foxes. He's now scored well over 100 top-flight goals and still has a chance to add to his tally going forward.

Having struggled in his first season in the top tier of English football after contributing to Leicester's promotion from the Championship, it was a massive upturn in fortunes for the man who would go on to become a lethal marksman in the division. Vardy's pace and intelligent movement have caused major headaches for many defenders he has faced over the years.

39 Teddy Sheringham

With 146 Premier League goals to his name, Sheringham could not be left off this list. The attacker spent most of his career at Tottenham and Manchester United, and was a brilliant team player, as shown by the fact that he registered 52 assists in the Premier League as well. An exceptional forward who could score goals and bring others into play.

Sheringham aged like a fine wine too, as he scored at 40 years of age while playing for West Ham to become the oldest goalscorer in Premier League history. The Englishman had an unbelievable career at the very top, being capable of scoring a vast array of goals, with either foot or his head.

38 Robin van Persie

The Dutchman had injury problems during his early days in the Premier League, but he came through that tough period to play a major role for both Arsenal and United. In his final season at the Emirates, he netted 30 league goals, and he then scored 26 goals in his maiden season at United, finishing as their top scorer as they won the title in 2012/13.

Those 26 goals included an incredible hat-trick at Old Trafford in a 3-0 win over Aston Villa to secure the title win in Sir Alex Ferguson's final season as a manager. This remains United's last Premier League success to date, over a decade later. Van Persie was the biggest part of wrestling the trophy back out of the arms of United's fierce rivals - Manchester City - as his goals and partnership with Wayne Rooney fired the Red Devils to glory.

37 Luis Suárez

The only thing that counts against Suarez is that he only played in the Premier League for three-and-a-half years. But what an impact he made. In his final two seasons at Anfield, he found the target 54 times, and he was Liverpool's star player as he almost dragged them to the title in 2013/14. The Uruguayan set the record for the number of goals in a 38-game Premier League season before it was broken by another Liverpool player a few years later.

Despite his brilliance in that Brendan Rodgers team, Suarez goes down as one of the greatest players to have never won the Premier League title as Liverpool fell short due to a home loss against Chelsea and the famous 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace which is known as 'Crystanbul'. As previously mentioned, the forward wasn't part of the English top flight for long enough to get ahead of the other players on this list, but his individual quality can not be questioned.

36 Yaya Toure

One of the main players who turned City into a major club in England. After joining the club in 2010, he became a mainstay in the midfield, peaking in 2013/14 when he scored a remarkable 20 league goals to guide City to their second Premier League title triumph - beating Suarez and Liverpool to the trophy. Toure is a prime example of a player who reinvented himself from being an underappreciated centre-back at Barcelona to being the best box-to-box midfielder in the Premier League.

His eight-year spell in England saw Toure become one of Manchester City's greatest players of all time while playing a big part in the club winning their first three Premier League titles in history. There could be no complaints if a top 50 list had Toure in a much higher position, but we settled for 36 in the end.

Van Nistelrooy was a goal-scoring machine at the start of the 21st century, scoring 20 or more league goals in three successive seasons between 2001 and 2004 including one of the best debut seasons we have seen - netting 36 goals in all competitions. This was a quieter period for United as they won just one championship with van Nistelrooy in the team, but whenever they needed him to pop up with a goal, he usually delivered.

The Dutch hitman was renowned for his ability to strike the ball early and catch goalkeepers off guard on many occasions. He is perhaps the best finisher on this entire list but - as was the case with Suarez - van Nistelrooy's longevity, or lack thereof, holds him back slightly.

Van Dijk has time on his side to move further up this list in the coming years, but for now, he has to settle for the 34th spot. The towering centre-back has made a huge difference to Liverpool's backline, helping the club win the Champions League and Premier League in his first two full seasons at the club. There are few better defenders in the world right now.

The fact that the Liverpool captain came within seven votes of beating Lionel Messi to the Ballon d'Or in 2019 is enough to prove that he is worthy of being part of this list. Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool team that won the Champions League and Premier League was reliant on Van Dijk's dominant nature as well as his ability in possession of the ball.

33 Michael Owen

Owen's career rather petered out so it is easy to forget just how good he was in his first spell at Liverpool. The former Reds striker did manage to secure the individual award Van Dijk narrowly missed out on, as he lifted the Ballon d'Or in 2001. This came in the aftermath of Liverpool winning a treble that consisted of both domestic cup competitions and the UEFA Cup.

Coming into the side as a teenager, he scored more than 15 league goals in six of his seven full seasons at the club before leaving for Real Madrid in 2004. That is eye-catching consistency for a young forward. His return to the division with Newcastle - as well as stints at Manchester United and Stoke City - does count against his legacy a little bit, as Owen was never the same player after several injury issues.

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32 N'Golo Kante

Kante arrived in the Premier League in 2015 with many not having a clue who he was. We all know now. In his first season, he won the league with Leicester and then followed that up by doing the same at Chelsea, while also winning the Champions League with the Blues. A couple of quieter seasons under Maurizio Sarri and Frank Lampard mean that he doesn't quite break the top 30.

The Frenchman played like a modern-day Makelele, with some differences in their games. His defensive prowess is well documented, but sometimes the work Kante did going forward is overlooked. His driving runs and overall energy provided a lot in an attacking sense for his side.

31 Tony Adams

With this list only looking at the Premier League era, Adams is not quite as high as some may expect, as his best days were arguably in the early 90s. Still, he did make a huge impact at Highbury during his time at Arsenal, winning the Premier League twice. Who can forget his goal against Everton to rubber-stamp the Gunners' title win in 1998? An iconic moment.

The former Gunners defender is still one of the best to do it in the English top flight, he is just unfortunate with the time his career came around. In terms of ability, he competes with the very best defenders to have appeared in the competition and probably goes down as Arsenal's greatest-ever centre-back. Adams was a wonderful captain for Arsenal with his leadership qualities shining through on many occasions.