10.Didier Drogba
Has the Premier League ever seen a more intimidating target man? Didier Drogba had every physical attribute you’d want in a No.9: height, pace and power. The Ivorian was also a fearsome competitor and incredibly unselfish, which made him both a nightmare to play against and a dream to play off.
9.Sergio Aguero
The man responsible for the most famous goal in Premier League history, with Aguero whipping the ball into the back of the QPR net with typical power and precision to win the 2011-12 title for Manchester City in the most dramatic fashion possible. It was the first of five Premier League triumphs for the Argentine attacker, who netted 184 times in total, which puts him fifth on the all-time leading scorers’ list.
8.Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo may have tarnished his Manchester United legacy during his acrimonious second spell at Old Trafford but nobody will ever forget what it was like to watch the Portuguese go from show-pony to the most complete forward on the planet during his first stint in England. “There have been a few players described as ‘the new George Best’ over the years, but this is the first time it’s been a compliment to me,”the Northern Irishman quipped all the way back in 2003.
7.Mohamed Salah
Liverpool’s Egyptian King wasn’t considered a particularly prolific player when he arrived at Anfield from Roma in 2017 but he immediately broke the Premier League’s single-season goalscoring record by netting 32 times in just 36 games. Two more Golden Boots have followed but his greatest achievement was arguably firing the Reds to a first English title for 30 years, in 2019-20.
6. Frank Lampard
It’s funny to think about now but Chelsea fans were more than a little sceptical when the club signed Frank Lampard from West Ham in 2001. He quickly set about becoming an icon at Stamford Bridge, though, and one of the most feared and revered players in world football. Lampard even finished second in the 2005 Ballon d’Or voting to Ronaldinho, after scoring 13 goals in Chelsea’s first English top-flight title triumph since 1955, while also finishing top of the assists charts.
5. Steven Gerrard
Loved by Liverpool fans but reviled by their rivals, Steven Gerrard remains a very divisive figure in Premier League history. Indeed, there are those that would argue that he doesn’t even belong on this list because he never got his hands on the trophy, with his infamous slip against Chelsea in 2014 playing a pivotal role in Brendan Rodgers’ Reds throwing away the title.
4. Kevin De Bruyne
Manchester City aren’t exactly the most popular team in the Premier League but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone that doesn’t enjoy watching Kevin De Bruyne in action. The classy Belgian is a joy to behold when fully fit and firing, a wonderfully elegant footballer capable of pulling off passes that others can’t even see – which helps explain why he’s won the Premier League’s Playmaker of the Year award on three occasions.
3.Wayne Rooney
When a 16-year-old Wayne Rooney ended Arsenal’s 30-match unbeaten run with a stunning strike for Everton at Goodison Park on October 19, 2002, Arsene Wenger proclaimed the already fully-formed forward “the biggest English talent” he’d seen during his time in charge of the Gunners. Sir Alex Ferguson was just as smitten and signed the Scouse street-footballer for Manchester United just two years later for £25m – which proved an absolute bargain. Rooney won 16 trophies at Old Trafford, including five English titles, and went on to become United’s all-time leading marksman (208 goals).
2.Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes won 11 Premier Leagues (and eight from 2000 on), so we’re talking about one of the most successful players in English football history here. What’s arguably even more impressive than his trophy haul, though, is the esteem in which he’s held by his peers. Thierry Henry labelled Scholes the best player in the Premier League,Zinedine Zidane said he was his toughest opponent, while Xavi called him a “role model”.
1. Thierry Henry
Compiling the rest of the list may have been incredibly difficult but there was never any doubt over who was going to be No.1. Henry isn’t just the greatest Premier League player of the century; he’s the finest footballer it has ever seen.
A lethal finisher blessed with blistering pace that was as effective as he was elegant, Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer could tear a team to shreds all on his own. “It was embarrassing for the defenders: he just scored when he wanted,”said former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger, who converted his compatriot from a winger into a striker.
