Who is the Greatest Ever Premier League Player?
A Look at Three of the Best Ever EPL Players
The recently formed Premier League now has some 23 inductees, including a selection of the finest players (and managers) to represent the English top-flight over the course of the last 31 years.
Of course, the majority of the EPL’s most celebrated and romanticised players are forwards, who tend to dominate the headlines and produce the stardust that lights up individual matches and determine the course of Premier League seasons.
While it’s relatively easy to list 20 or 30 of the Premier League’s greatest ever players, attempting to narrow this selection to two or three is much more contentious. However, below you’ll find my take on the three best EPL players of all time, and it should come as no surprise that each one operated in and around the front line!
#3. Alan Shearer (Blackburn Rovers and Manchester United)
At number three is the Premier League’s leading goalscorer, and while Spurs forward Harry Kane remains just 47 goals behind Alan Shearer’s record, the former Blackburn and Newcastle striker was a genuine force of nature throughout his EPL career.
While it was Blackburn who saw Shearer in his physical prime (he struck 112 Premier League goals in just 138 games for Rovers), the Geordie hitman’s career spanned 14 years between 1992 and 2006. During this time, he struck 260 EPL goals in 441 matches, even as his strike rate dwindled with age and when playing for boyhood club Newcastle.
Quick and powerful in his pomp, Shearer scored 30+ Premier League goals in three successive seasons between 1993 and 1996. This haul included all types of goals too, from predatory tap-ins and powerful headers to scorching strikes from distance.
Shearer was also a born leader and ultimate team player, who would use his strength and touch to link play effectively. As a result, he also laid on 65 assists for his teammates, while enjoying a particularly prolific on-field understanding with the underrated Nolberto Solano at St. James Park.
#2. Wayne Rooney (Everton and Manchester United)
If you were building a brand-new football team, you’d probably want to fill it with 11 Wayne Rooney’s if you could. After all, the Scouse-born forward offered a truly unique meld of skill, creatively and aggression, while his willingness to sacrifice himself and personal accolades for the cause arguably counted against him during his career.
Of course, Rooney announced himself as a precocious and unusually powerful 16-year-old at Everton, when he struck a superb 30-yard winner against a brilliant Arsenal side in 2002. He earned a move to Manchester United two years later after a seminal breakthrough for England in the 2004 European Championships, and it was here where he would break new ground and enjoy the bulk of his trophy laden career.
He is undeniably the most gifted British forward of his generation, combining power and superb close control with an incredible range of passing and truly explosive shot. Overall, he scored 208 Premier League goals in 491 matches (putting him second behind Shearer for the time being) while also contributing an impressive 114 assists for his teammates.
Ultimately, Rooney was a mercurial and often selfless player, while he remains Manchester United’s record ever goalscorer and retains the second-highest tally of goals for England.
#1. Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
Be honest, did you expect to see anyone else at number one at this list? If so, we cannot imagine why, as French forward Thierry Henry was a truly sensational player who did absolutely everything with elegance and pure class.
Despite starting centrally for much of his career and drifting out to the left flank, Henry plundered a superb 175 EPL goals in just 258 games during two spells with the Gunners, at an impressive rate of 0.67 per game. He also provided 80 assists, meaning that he made a little under one goal contribution per game on average during his EPL career.
Henry also contributed 20+ EPL goals for five consecutive seasons with the Gunners, picking up four Golden Boots in the process. In 2002/03 campaign, Henry also registered a record 20 assists in the English top-flight, although this achievement has since been matched by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019/20.
Blessed with outstanding touch and blistering pace, Henry was also an accomplished dribbler and finisher. Interestingly, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher recently admitted that the Frenchman “affected him mentally on a pitch”, as he would look to simply avoid embarrassment rather than focus on challenging Henry head-on.
Simply a one-off in football parlance, Henry is almost a universal pick as the Premier League’s best player and has deservedly earned first place on my list!
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Angels on the pitch.
In the heart of a bustling city, where the rhythm of life pulses through the streets like a steady heartbeat, there existed a small soccer field tucked away from the chaos. This field wasn't just any ordinary patch of grass; it was a sanctuary, a place where dreams took flight on the wings of determination and passion. It was here that the story of the angels of the pitch unfolded.At the crack of dawn, when the world was still cloaked in darkness, a group of young boys and girls would gather at the field, their cleats clicking against the pavement as they made their way to the hallowed ground. Among them was Alex, a talented midfielder with a heart of gold and feet that danced with grace across the turf.On one particular morning, as the sun began to peek over the horizon, Alex noticed something peculiar. A pair of worn-out cleats lay abandoned near the goalpost, as if waiting to be discovered. Intrigued, Alex approached the cleats and picked them up, examining them with curiosity. Despite their battered appearance, there was an air of magic about them, as if they held a story waiting to be told."Hey, check these out!" Alex called out to the others, holding up the cleats for all to see.The group gathered around, their eyes widening in wonder as they beheld the mysterious footwear. They had heard tales of legendary players who had once graced the field, but never had they come across such a tangible relic of the past."Maybe they belong to one of the angels," whispered Mia, the team's star striker, her voice barely above a breath."Angels?" scoffed Diego, the goalkeeper, a skeptic to the core. "There's no such thing."But Alex knew better. There was a magic in the air that morning, a sense of possibility that transcended the boundaries of belief. With a determined gleam in his eye, he slipped on the cleats, feeling a surge of energy course through his veins like electricity.As the team began their training session, something extraordinary happened. Alex moved with a newfound agility, his every step infused with the spirit of those who had come before him. With each pass and shot, he felt as if he were channeling the skill and wisdom of the angels of the pitch.As the days turned into weeks, Alex's teammates couldn't help but notice the change in him. His once tentative touches had been replaced by a confidence that bordered on the divine. It was as if he had been touched by an unseen hand, guided by forces beyond mortal comprehension.But with great power came great responsibility, and Alex knew that he couldn't keep the secret of the cleats to himself forever. So one evening, as the sun dipped below the skyline and the field was bathed in the soft glow of twilight, he gathered his teammates around him and revealed the truth."These cleats," he began, his voice steady with conviction, "they're not just ordinary shoes. They're a reminder of all those who have played on this field before us, of the angels who watch over us even now."The others listened in rapt silence as Alex recounted the legend of the angels of the pitch, of how they had once roamed the earth spreading joy and inspiration through the beautiful game of soccer. And as he spoke, they felt a sense of awe wash over them, as if they were being blessed by unseen hands.From that day forward, the cleats became more than just a pair of shoes; they became a symbol of hope and unity for the team. With each passing game, they would lace up their boots and take to the field with a renewed sense of purpose, knowing that they were not alone in their quest for victory.And so, the angels of the pitch continued to weave their magic, their presence felt in every pass, every tackle, every goal. For on that sacred ground, where dreams took flight and legends were born, they watched over their earthly counterparts with pride and affection, forever guiding them towards greatness.
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