The 15 Best Dribblers In Premier League History, Ft. Ronaldo & Henry | OneFootball

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Manchester City have added another talented forward to their ranks, with Jeremy Doku heading to the Etihad this week. The former Rennes man has caught the eye of many with his performances for the French side over the last year.

Known for his blistering pace, the winger is also known for how good he is with the ball at his feet, and it's safe to say, he'll quickly become one of the very best dribblers in England when he joins the Premier League.

He's not quite one of the best ever just yet, though, and here are the top 15 best dribblers in the history of the Premier League.

15 Eberechi Eze

There have been few players who have looked more comfortable with the ball at their feet as Eberechi Eze does right now for Crystal Palace.

Following his move to Selhurst Park in 2020, the forward has regularly been the best dribbler in England's top flight, and puts up the numbers to prove as much.

Completing 73 successful dribbles last year, only Bukayo Saka (71) came close to reaching Eze's levels of success with the ball at his feet. He regularly dances past opponents with ease and is a defender's nightmare.

With Wilfried Zaha leaving Palace this summer, the club are going to look towards the former Queens Park Rangers man more than ever to carry the brunt of the offensive workload and through two games, he seems more than up to the task.

2.5 successful dribbles a game. Truly brilliant.

14 Jay-Jay Okocha

So good they named him twice. With his incredible skills and tendency to do the unthinkable with a ball at his feet, there are few players ever as talented at dribbling as Jay-Jay Okocha.

Defenders had a torrid time trying to take the ball off of the Nigerian, who would evade opponents' challenges with no sweat whatsoever.

You only have to look back on the 2002 World Cup, where Nigeria, with their back against the walls, struggled through the group of death. Facing Argentina, Sweden and England, the nation went winless in the tournament and were eliminated in the group stage, but that didn't stop Okocha from having an incredible tournament, averaging 3.3 dribbles a game throughout.

Also, you only have to look at the fact he was willing to produce rainbow flicks in the Premier League to know he is well deserving of a spot on this list.

13 Hatem Ben Arfa

Capable of taking the ball around just about anyone, Hatem Ben Arfa was an absolute joy to watch during his time in the Premier League at Newcastle United.

His flair on the ball and the magnitude in which he danced through opposition defences was astounding. Through four seasons at St. James' Park, the Frenchman never averaged less than two completed dribbles a game which is simply immense.

During the 2012/13 season, he was on a different level, completing an average of 4.2 dribbles a game. Simply outrageous. It's no surprise he had the ability to take the ball from his own half and dance past defenders on the way to scoring majestic solo goals with dribbling like this.

12 Dimitri Payet

Despite spending just two seasons in the Premier League at West Ham United, Dimitri Payet's incredible impact on the league will be hard to forget.

Known for his superb free kicks, the star was also an exceptional dribbler and terrorised defenders in the league during his time at the Hammers.

With an average of 2.4 successful dribbles a game throughout his time at the East London club, there's simply no denying just how fantastic he was with the ball at his feet.

11 John Barnes

While his career was heading towards its end by the time the Premier League came along, John Barnes still spent seven years in the division and was regularly one of its best dribblers.

Initially a winger, he spent years dominating defenders and used his pace to terrorise just about anyone tasked with keeping him at bay.

As his career progressed, and his speed slowed down, he was moved into a central midfielder role and wasn't afforded the same chances to dribble as he once was, but there's no denying just how impressive he was with a ball at his feet. There were few in Premier League history more impactful.

10 Wilfried Zaha

Throughout his time at Crystal Palace, Wilfried Zaha became one of the club's biggest icons. His goal-scoring exploits and his influence on the side played a large role in that, but his exceptional dribbling also had a significant part to play in the legacy he has forged.

Over the course of nine years at Selhurst Park in the Premier League, he averaged an absolutely astounding 3.1 successful dribbles completed a game, which is a shining testament to how big a role he played in the Eagles' offence.

It's hard to imagine Palace would have been quite as strong over the years if they didn't have Zaha terrorising defenders on such a consistent basis. His departure this summer is sure to be felt.

9 Chris Waddle

While he had just four seasons in the Premier League, and they were towards the tail end of his playing career, Chris Waddle still did more than enough in England's top flight to earn a spot on this list.

The Englishman was scintillating to watch with a ball at his feet and regularly weaved past defenders whenever he had the opportunity. His four years at Sheffield Wednesday earned him a cult hero status at the club, and it was largely due to how entertaining it was watching him destroy opposition defences with no issues whatsoever.

8 Gianfranco Zola

Before Roman Abramovich's millions, Chelsea had Gianfranco Zola, one of the most talented and tricky forwards in Premier League history.

The Italian was a small man, but what he lacked in height and strength, he more than made up for in speed and skill. The star was electric during his time in England, and it seemed almost impossible for a defender to take the ball away from him when he had it at his feet.

For seven seasons, he ran riot in the Premier League and continued to prove no one could quite handle him. His incredible goal return earned him a spot as one of Chelsea's most underrated heroes, but his legendary feats with the ball at his feet made him even better.

7 Steve McManaman

While he's now more known for his work as a pundit and commentator for TNT Sports, there was a time when Steve McManaman was one of the best dribblers in the world, and is still considered one of the best ever.

Through seven Premier League seasons with Liverpool, the now 51-year-old was unstoppable driving forward and must have given defenders nightmares whenever they faced off.

Simply put, there's a reason Real Madrid eventually came calling for McManaman and his elite dribbling ability played a major role in attracting their attention.

6 David Ginola

While the majority of top-level wingers are smaller and faster, David Ginola was the exception to the rule. Despite being a hulking figure, the former Tottenham Hotspur man thrived on the wing, and it was largely down to his ability to dribble past just about anyone he came up against on a football pitch.

With spells at Newcastle, Spurs and Aston Villa, he had no trouble taking any defender on one-on-one, and it was almost as if the ball was glued to his feet and he danced up and down the pitch. No one could contain Ginola and it led to fans watching in awe as he graced a football pitch.

5 Riyad Mahrez

Not only is Riyad Mahrez one of the best dribblers in Premier League history, he's also the most successful. With numerous league titles, a Champions League and plenty of other silverware to boot, the Algerian dominated defences for both Leicester City and Manchester City over the course of his nine-year Premier League run.

There's no way the Foxes do the unthinkable and win the league in 2016 if they didn't have Mahrez driving through defences with his exceptional dribbling abilities. Averaging over 2.6 successful dribbles a game during his time at the club, there were few who could replicate the impact he had for Leicester over the years.

His move to City may have seen his numbers take a bit of a hit, but that was largely due to his output being reduced among a squad of such talented forwards. When called upon, he still demonstrated on plenty of occasions his ability to find a way through defences with the ball at his feet.

4 Thierry Henry

Not only is Thierry Henry one of the best dribblers in Premier League history, but he's one of the league's greatest-ever players. Few have dominated England to the degree that the Frenchman did during his time at Arsenal.

His goal-scoring exploits were legendary, and it's hard to imagine the Gunners would see even half of the success that they did during the 2000s if they didn't have him tearing defences apart.

Due to his prolific nature in front of goal, his dribbling ability can often be overlooked, but make no mistake about it, there are few who were as talented or as gifted as Henry was with the ball at his feet. The things he was capable of doing were breathtaking and they almost had to be seen to be believed.

There were numerous goals scored during his career that came as a result of him dancing through multiple defenders and really taking them to town. His time in England was as good as it got, and his legacy won't be forgotten. We know the defenders he regularly tortured won't have forgotten about him yet, anyway.

3 Cristiano Ronaldo

In terms of his overall career, Cristiano Ronaldo has a very good case for being the greatest footballer of all time. Lionel Messi may be the only man with a claim better than his own.

In terms of his Premier League tenure, it feels as though the former Manchester United man was really only just getting started when he left for Real Madrid in 2009.

No one had dominated England to the degree that Ronaldo did, especially during the 2007/08 season, and his dribbling abilities played a large role in his overwhelming success. The Portuguese star has put up serious goal-scoring numbers over the years, but his dribbling ability is just as impressive.

It's that knack for getting past any defence he comes up against and dancing past any defender with ease that has led to him becoming one of the greatest footballers ever.

2 Ryan Giggs

It's not just about how good Ryan Giggs was dribbling past defenders, but it's how long he was so good at it. The former United man is one of the greatest wingers in Premier League history, and few players have forged a career as historic, triumphant and decorated as the Welshman in the top flight.

Giggs bombed up and down the wing for two decades as a key figure at Old Trafford, and while his speed may have deserted him as he got older, his dribbling didn't, and he was still taking defenders on at an exceptional success rate even towards the end of his playing days.

He tore defences apart over and over again for Sir Alex Ferguson's side and there's a good reason for his place among the team's greatest ever players.

1 Eden Hazard

Considering how quickly his career turned sour, it could be easy to forget just how impressive Eden Hazard was during his prime, but there has never been a Premier League player quite as good at dribbling as the former Chelsea man.

From the minute he arrived in England, the Belgian tortured defences and his knack for driving with the ball glued to his feet was awe-inspiring. Over the course of his Premier League career, Hazard averaged 3.7 successful dribbles a game in the league, which is incredible considering he spent seven years in England.

No one in the world could mark the former Chelsea star and actually come away from it successfully. He loved to make a defender's job next to impossible and his role in the club's numerous trophy triumphs throughout the 2010s can't be overstated. Sure, things may have fallen off a cliff since he joined Real Madrid, but for a time, he was electric and in his prime, no one could compete with Hazard as the Premier League's greatest-ever dribbler.