50 Greatest Premier League Players of All Time [Ranked]

Throughout its existence, the Premier League has been the playground for some of the best talent in the world, igniting passionate debates among football enthusiasts worldwide. The quest to select the undisputed best-ever player since the league’s inception in 1992 remains elusive, steeped in subjective opinions. While opinions vary, the allure of ranking players persists.

Fans have been fortunate to witness many outstanding talents over more than three decades of the league’s existence. As the English game has welcomed remarkable footballers, the task of ordering them into a coherent hierarchy has become increasingly complex.

That said, below is an attempt at ranking the 50 best players to have appeared in the division. In order to rank these men who have built a legacy in England’s top flight that can’t be matched, the following factors have been taken into consideration:

• Longevity
• Trophies
• Goals
• Assists
• Clean Sheets
• Individual Awards

50

Denis Irwin

328 Premier League games

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, Denis 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

653 Premier League games

Simply for longevity, Gareth 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

503 Premier League games

Jamie 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.

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47

Dwight Yorke

375 Premier League games

Around the turn of the century, there were few better strikers in world football than Dwight 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

Claude Makelele

144 Premier League games

Claude 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.

45

Robbie Fowler

379 Premier League games

Robbie 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.

44

David Seaman

344 Premier League games

David 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.

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43

Gary Neville

400 Premier League games

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 Gary Neville possessed to go along with his underrated ability on the pitch.

42

Sol Campbell

503 Premier League appearances

Another member of ‘The Invincibles’, Sol Campbell made the controversial move of switching from Tottenham for Arsenal in 2001, but it worked out for him. He would go on to win the Premier League twice and the FA Cup four times in his career, as he made over 500 appearances in England’s top division. Spurs fans still hold a grudge to this day that their former defender went on to be a star for their fierce North London rivals.

Campbell was even a solid defender during his time at Portsmouth as his career began to wind down in the late 2000s. The former England international also returned to the top flight with Arsenal for a very brief spell in 2010 before closing his career out at Newcastle in 2011. There was never a point that Campbell looked completely out of his depth, even well into his 30s, proving the longevity he had in the game.

41

Robert Pires

198 Premier League games

A key member of ‘The Invincibles’, Robert 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.

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