10 GREATEST ENGLISH PLAYERS IN PREMIER LEAGUE HISTORY RANKED BY SHEARER & RICHARDS
- Micah Richards and Alan Shearer ranked the greatest English players of the Premier Leauge era.
- The MOTD pundits have different opinions on the top English players, disagreeing on the final order.
- Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard were among the shortlisted players.
The Premier League has seen a plethora of incredible English players over the years. It makes sense, given that it's the English top-flight, but it's just worth emphasising that some truly exceptional homegrown players have graced the division since its inception in 1992. Micah Richards and Alan Shearer are just two of those stars.
Richards won a Premier League title with Manchester City and, in his own words, burst onto the scene as a seriously promising young prospect. His career didn't ultimately lead to the success that many anticipated, but the former full-back still had a solid tenure in the division. Shearer, on the other hand, is one of the best strikers English football has ever seen. His time with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United saw him take the league by storm, scoring for fun, and he's still the all-time leading goalscorer with 260 strikes to his name.
10 Hardest Players in Premier League History Ranked by Shearer & Richards
Roy Keane, Vinnie Jones, Duncan Ferguson and Patrick Vieira are among the hardest footballers in Premier League history.They know a thing or two about great English talent between them, and alongside Gary Lineker on the Match of the Day Top 10 Podcast, they named their top 10 English players from the Premier League era. Here are their lists.
Shearer's Top 10 English Players in Premier League History
The striker ranked himself 10th
Having been given a shortlist of 10 English players to rank, Shearer wasted no time putting himself in last place. It's a surprising show of modesty but was done to avoid any criticism from Richards or Lineker, with the Newcastle legend commenting: "For obvious reasons, I'm putting myself 10th. I'm not having the abuse!"
Just ahead of him in ninth was Ashley Cole, with Shearer calling him the "best left-back we've had in our country". It's hard to disagree. The former Chelsea and Arsenal man was a force to be reckoned with on the left-hand side. Next up, Shearer ranked a couple of England's best strikers, with Michael Owen coming in at eighth and Harry Kane at seventh. It looked for a while like the former Tottenham Hotspur man would overtake Shearer's goalscoring record in the league, but his move to Bayern Munich means it's safe... for now, at least.
GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Harry Kane has scored 213 Premier League goals
John Terry was next - the highest-ranking defender on the list. The former Chelsea man had a fine career at Stamford Bridge and was a dependable captain for the team, leading them to glory on several occasions. Shearer had Beckham in next at five, whose Premier League legacy would have been even more impressive if he hadn't left Manchester United for Real Madrid in 2003.
Shearer then had his say on the Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes debate by picking them all in the rankings next in that order. The former Chelsea man came in at number four, while the ex-Liverpool captain was third and the United icon was second. Ahead of him was one more Red Devils legend. The ex-striker picked Wayne Rooney as his greatest English Premier League player ever, speaking about his determination and ability to impact the game from numerous areas on the pitch.
"He wanted the ball in every minute of the game. Technically superb, his attitude was magnificent. You could play him right wing and he'd be the best player. Midfield, he done that job also. Just an all-round great player with great numbers."
As United's all-time leading goalscorer and one of England's top scorers ever, it's hard to argue with Shearer's decision to rank Rooney at number one. He was one of the country's greatest-ever talents, and it's scary to think that he might have scored even more if he hadn't moved back into midfield towards the end of his career.
| Alan Shearer's Top 10 English Premier League Players | |
|---|---|
| 10. | Alan Shearer |
| 9. | Ashley Cole |
| 8. | Michael Owen |
| 7. | Harry Kane |
| 6. | John Terry |
| 5. | David Beckham |
| 4. | Frank Lampard |
| 3. | Steven Gerrard |
| 2. | Paul Scholes |
| 1. | Wayne Rooney |
Richards' Top 10 English Players in Premier League History
The former defender didn't have Rooney in his top two
Richards' list is significantly different to Shearer's. First things first, he doesn't have his Match of the Day colleague sitting in 10th place. Instead, he picked Kane for that spot, insisting his lack of silverware hurts his case in comparison to everyone else on the list, saying: "What's he won?"
Similar to his fellow pundit, Richards has Cole next, then Beckham in eighth. While that might be surprising, the former City man was blunt with his reasoning, suggesting everyone ahead of him was simply better.
"The players in front of him were better footballers."
In seventh, Richards selected Terry, crediting his ability to always remain fit and available for his teams - including Aston Villa towards the end of his career. On the Chelsea hero, he said: "He was always fit, wasn't he? Even when he came to Aston Villa at the end."
In sixth, Richards chose Michael Owen. He praised the former Liverpool man's ability to get behind opposition defences, but also his finishing prowess and how that stuck with him throughout his career. Lampard ranked next in fifth, with Scholes following him in fourth. While the former United man was an icon at Old Trafford, the pundit questioned whether he had the ability to replicate what Gerrard did at Liverpool.
"Could Scholes do what Gerrard did at Liverpool?"
While Shearer had Rooney first, Richards ranked him third. His reasoning was that he expected more from the ex-Everton man, saying: "I just think with Rooney, he could have been even better. When you trained with him at England, he was by far one of the best players. I thought he would have got to the same level as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo."
In the runner-up spot, the former City man had Shearer himself, praising his co-worker for his loyalty to Newcastle and choosing the side over Manchester United. He also mentioned the former striker's 260 goals - a staggering figure considering he only won the league once. Rounding out the list, he chose Gerrard as the greatest English Premier League player ever, highlighting his influence in a Liverpool side that was elevated because of his presence.
"He single-handedly pulled Liverpool through in a Champions League final."
| Micah Richards' Top 10 English Premier League Players | |
|---|---|
| 10. | Harry Kane |
| 9. | Ashley Cole |
| 8. | David Beckham |
| 7. | John Terry |
| 6. | Michael Owen |
| 5. | Frank Lampard |
| 4. | Paul Scholes |
| 3. | Wayne Rooney |
| 2. | Alan Shearer |
| 1. | Steven Gerrard |
With neither man agreeing on the top spot, the deciding vote went to Lineker - and he sided with Shearer, handing the title to Rooney due to his success in the Premier League and the sheer number of trophies that he won.
2024-04-26T23:45:27Z dg43tfdfdgfd