Football: Top 20 greatest players in EPL history – See who’s number 1! (With Pictures)

4. Alan Shearer

Alan Shearer’s goal scoring feats alone mean he is well worth his place in the upper reaches of this list. His record of 260 Premier League goals is a whopping 73 higher than Andy Cole and Wayne Rooney, and it would take some effort for Rooney to overtake Shearer before the end of his career. In total, Shearer scored 379 goals in 734 games with Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle. He only won one Premier League title, with Blackburn, in 1995.

Had he joined Manchester United as he twice came close to doing, he would have won countless trophies, and likely scored many more goals, with the likes of Beckham, Scholes and Giggs putting them on a plate for him. Shearer won three Premier League Golden Boots and was named both Domestic Player of the Decade and Overall Player of the Decade, as well as holding the records for most goals in a Premier League season and most Premier League hat-tricks.

3. Paul Scholes

The only man to come close to Ryan Giggs in terms of Premier League winners medals, Paul Scholes picked up 11 in his 20 years at Manchester United. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation, Scholes was an exceptional midfielder who had remarkable vision, understanding and passing ability. He was described by Barcelona legend Xavi as “the best central midfielder I’ve seen in the last 15, 20, 25 years”, while Thierry Henry stated that he considered Scholes to be “without doubt” the greatest player in Premier League history, saying “he knows how to do everything”.

In 20 seasons at Old Trafford, Scholes played 718 games, winning 25 trophies, including 11 Premier League titles. Scholes dictated the tempo of Manchester United’s play in the years in which they reigned supreme in English football, and was often cited as the reason they scored so many late goals, as Scholes’ passing had tired the opposition out. Scholes was often regarded as a very complete player, having many top class attributes, with the notable exception of his tackling which was often comically poor.