Since the formation of the Premier League in the 1992-1993 season, many extravagant players have graced the fields of the Premier League teams producing moments of magic from there, thus creating an everlasting memory for the fans of the Premier League to hold onto many years to come.
In fact, Premier League is the most expensive and popular league in the world, while the best players in the world are currently vying to have a shot at the league, the League players of all time are some of the bests to ever play the sport.
Conversely, in the rich history of the league on two players have ever won the Ballon d’Or while playing in the Premier League, but there is no doubt that the league has the innermost talent pool in the world, with world class clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea attracting the world’s best talent in the early millennium, but the inclusion of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspurs has extended the gravity of competition in the league as the resurgent Leicester City is clamoring to be among the elite clubs of England.
But it has always been down to the player acquisition that makes the club great and below are the Premier League greatest eleven players that can never be forgotten in the rich history of the league.
Didier Drogba
When many questioned Mourinho’s affection for the Ivorian striker in his first spell at the west London club by making the former Ivory Coast skipper their most expensive player ever in 2004 “Judge him when he leaves the club,” was Jose Mourinho’s response.
The former Olympique Marseille forward played nine half seasons representing Chelsea in EPL while scoring 104 goals in 254 appearances for the blue.
The Ivorian legend will be remembered for his stellar premier league campaign with which he won four premier leagues, two golden boots, and the highest assist provider in 2006 and making the premier league team of the year on two occasions.
Patrick Vieira
Came as an ordinary player, left the Premier League not as Arsenal Legend only but the League’s legend while he capped the invincible Arsenal side to greatness in the 2003/2004 season.
With his intelligence position, midfield marshaling, exquisite touch and vision, panache in trick and dribbling, modern physical presence, and a baseline for the ever-attacking Arsenal side that displaced all the team they had faced in an unforgettable in the history of Premier League. Patrick Viera can be however credited for leading the invincible in the history of the Premier League.
Beyond the technicalities that come with merging the intensity demanded by the league, Viera proffers a basis of attacking artistry for the Arsenal team that was rewarded with the gold medal and remaining the only team to do so in the Premier League with a sense of solidarity and mind of a leader among the intelligent crop of players that was ever managed by the great Arsene Wenger.
In fact, it is not a coincidence that Arsenal had been regressing since his departure despite boasting of a great player like Cesc Fabregas, Robbie Van Persie, and the like after his departure but the touch of greatness from the former Les Blues midfielder is always embedded in the heart of the Premier League fans across the globe and not just the Gunners fans.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Born in Madeira, Portugal, Star in England, and became Legend in Madrid, Portugal all time highest goal scorer will be remembered for his time in Manchester United, while he wowed the fans with his sizzling skills and rain a terror on the opposition team.
However, some may think that the attacking magnifico place may have been too high considering other great that have graced the Premier League, while he only spent six seasons in the Premier League, and in terms of longevity, he ranks nowhere near that of Giggs, Scholes, Gerrard and many more.
Moreover, the former Manchester United winger is quite simply one of the greatest players to have ever lived, and for that alone, he finds himself almost at the top player that can’t be forgotten in the rich history of the Premier League.
In fact, his greatness journey began in the Premier League while he established himself as one the kind in his generation winning all kinds of accolades representing the Red Devil. He is one of only two players to have won the Ballon d’Or while playing in the Premier League.
Although he arrived at United as a slim, tricky teenager and left as the most expensive player in the history of the game while he was leaving in 2009. The diminutive attacker score 118 Premier League goals in 292 games at Manchester United as he helped the Red Devil to nine trophies in six years at Old Trafford, including three Premier League titles, making the PFA Team of the Year four times and being named Manchester United Player of the Season three times.
John Terry
Not just with Chelsea, but with the entire Premier League! What John Terry meant to the history of the EPL can’t be summed up in a list of accomplishments, but he was probably the best defender in the history of the Premier League. Although the like of Nemanja Vidic, Vincent Kompany, and now Virgil Van Dijk is not too far terry solidary, leadership and defensive marshaling are incomparable with any player in the history of the premier league.
Terry led Chelsea to five league titles while netting the premier league opponents on 41 occasions for the Blues and was named PFA Player of the Year in 2005. He went on to be named among the PFA team of the century from 1997-2007, while he made a team of the season on four occasions. Truly, Terry is beyond the Chelsea legend but the Premier League.
Ryan Giggs
Perhaps the most decorated footballer in the history of PremierLeague while he racked up 13 Premier League titles with the Red Devil. He was ever-present, consistent, and productive during the most successful era in the history of Manchester United, Giggs was named to six PFA Teams of the Year, winning the top individual player honor in 2009, while he was scarcely recognized as one of the best in the league, Giggs rise above the rest for his unsurpassed longevity.
The Welshman finished his career with a record of 162 assists to go with 109 goals in 632 Premier League appearances, as he won 407 of his Premier League matches with Manchester United and never received a red card in his nearly two and half decade career with the Red Devils. What a Premier League career he had.
Wayne Rooney
While he had his Premier debut at the Merseyside-based club, Everton, announcing himself to the world’s most notable with his cracker against Arsenal, the all-time England leading highest goal scorer made his name in Premier League while representing Manchester United.
Rooney quickly became something of a divisive figure within English football. The Manchester United all-time Premier League all-time highest goal scorer as a youngster was built to be a threat, and despite failing to produce his best form for the Three Lions at a major tournament since Euro 2004, he still had an exceptional career as he found the back of the net more than 10 occasions in every one of his 11 Premier League seasons at Old Trafford, and has twice managed 34 goals in all competitions in a season, coupled with his 208 Premier League goals sitting behind only Alan Shearer as the all-time highest goal scorer in the Premier League is impressive to include the Manchester United legend among the eleven great players that can’t be forgotten in the history of Premier League.
The Legendary number 10, won 12 trophies at Manchester United, including five premier league titles, while winning numerous individual awards during his Premier League time from PFA Player’s player of the year in 2010, PFA young player of the year in 2005 and 2006, PFA fans player of the year in 2006 and 2010, PFA player of the year in 2010, PFA team of the year on four occasions and FWA footballer of the year in 2010.
Steven Gerard
An impressive story of a local boy guiding his team to a complete while he was young the final UEFA cup in 2001 while he fully participated in his team successful era of millennium time winning Champions League and UEFA Cup, FA Cup, League cup and many more except the Premier League that kept evading the Liverpool legend in his prime but nothing can be taken away from the Whiston, Merseyside born playmaker that dragged mediocre Liverpool to so many successful victories in his prime.
However, with 120 Premier League goals and 92 assists to his Premier League credibility, the former Liverpool captain and legend is surely one of the best players that ever graced the field of the Premier League teams.
In fact, Liverpool will not only be remembered by the Liverpool faithful fans but will be remembered by the Premier League across the world for his impeccable impact in the history of Premier League, while he was producing some magic moments that have been remembered by the football fans across the globe during his spell at the Anfield stadium.
The only but in his Premier League was the absence of a Premier League medal which he could have been able to achieve in the latter stage of his Premier League career had he not slipped against Chelsea in the 2013/2014 season but the legendary midfielder had a successful Premier career with series of personal success that range from making the PFA Team of the year on eight occasions, fans player of the year on two occasions, PFA merit award, FWA footballer of the year in 2009, FA England player of the year award, Premier League top assist provider in 2014, PFA young player of the year in 2001, PFA player’s player of the year in 2001 and Premier League hall of fame in 2021 is just a testament how unforgettable the Liverpool legend is and how well the fan cannot forget his impact in the Premier League during his playing days.
Frank Lampard
It was an outrageous feat for a midfielder to be the all-time highest goal scorer for a big club like Chelsea! Lampard was definitely an outrageous attacking midfielder that always set his eye on the goal. While he is probably Chelsea’s greatest ever player, Frank Lampard is quite rightly regarded as one of the finest midfielders of his generation.
The Chelsea’s all-time highest goal joined the West London club after 6 years at West Ham and went on to become a legend at Stamford Bridge as he won 17 trophies, including 3 Premier League titles, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year five times as well as the Premier League team of the year three times, PFA fan player of the year, FWA footballer of the year and Premier player of the season in 2005.
Perhaps Lampard’s most amazing trait was his goal scoring, he scored 262 in total, as he sits comfortably as the fifth-highest scorer in Premier League history, and the only midfielder in the top 15.
Sergio Aguero
The Argentine came as a star and left the Etihad stadium as a legend! An era-defining signing in the Premier League and might as well be remembered for his solo goal against a relegation-threatened QPR that secure the Cityzen first Premier League title.
Moreover, his bizarre last spot-kick for Manchester City, while they are facing Chelsea, would be remembered for a very long time also. But nothing can be taken away from the powerful Argentine as the best Manchester City have heard till now in history.
In fact, the current Barcelona man is not just the Cityzens highest goal scorer but one of the best strikers the Premier League have to offer while no one else come close to him in term of goal-to-game ration in Premier League, not even the great Alan Shearer or Thierry Henry.
However, his lack of multiple golden boot awards reduces his popularity among the rest with only one golden boot to show for his 184 Premier League goals in 10 years. But the former Atletico Madrid star guided the Etihad’s club to five Premier League triumphs and consistency despite his injury plague time at the Etihad stadium.
Alan Shearer
As the only player to score over 100 goals for two teams in the Premier League, Shearer’s goal-scoring feats alone mean he is a good place among the unforgettable in the upper reaches of the Premier League.
With a record of 260 Premier League goals is a whopping 73 higher than Andy Cole and it would take some effort from the current crop of players or the incoming generations to displace Alan Shearer from the all-time highest goal scorer feat. In total, Shearer scored 379 goals in 734 games with Southampton, Blackburn, and Newcastle, while winning the Premier League title once, with Blackburn, in 1995.
In fact, if he had joined the Red Devil as he hoped to on two occasions, the Englishman would have flooded his cabinets with series of awards and trophies while he would have netted more Premier League goals with the likes of Beckham, Scholes, and Giggs putting them on a plate for him, but he eventually won three Premier League Golden Boots and was named both Domestic Player of the Decade and Overall Player of the Decade.
Thierry Henry
Probably had his best days at the Highbury, but the Frenchman at his peak is a terror in the heart of the opposing defender and he might be the most entertaining, watchable player in Premier League history.
In fact, there was an unfathomably equal level of innocence and insouciance in his play which he coupled with humble arrogance that left many defenders wow of his magnificence. He enjoyed performing like an artist and the fans demanded an encore of his greatness every week. No wonder he and Alan Shearer were the first inductees of the Premier League Hall of Fame!
The Gunners all-time highest goal scorer had the pace, technique, grace, balance and was ruthless in front of goal during his eight seasons in the league at Arsenal, where he played 369 games and scored 226 goals while having 175 of those goals in Premier League sitting sixth on the log of the Premier League highest goal scorer and most assist provider as he holds the record for the most assists in a single season with 21 assist and 20 goals. Henry won four Premier League Golden Boots, more than any other player, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six times of his eight seasons in the Premier League.
