10 MOST ENTERTAINING PLAYER IN PREMIER LEAGUE HISTORY [RANKED]

The English First Division has always been one of the most prestigious leagues in the sport of football. However, the re-branding of the competition into the Premier League in 1992 was designed to maximise broadcast and sponsorship deals, which in turn meant that there was a focus on the entertainment value of the sport.

The Premier League has become the central hub of European football with the standard of teams throughout the league making for the most competitive, captivating and unpredictable division in the sport. It is the most-watched sports league in the world and has become a multi-billion pound product.

The success of the league is built upon the elite-level players that grace football grounds up and down the country every weekend. With that in mind, we will now rank the 10 most entertaining players that have ever played in the Premier League.

Ranking Factors

• Drama
• Showmanship
• Iconic Moments

Gianfranco Zola

Premier League Clubs: Chelsea (1996-2003)

Gianfranco Zola had a successful career before arriving in the Premier League, winning a Serie A title with Napoli and a UEFA Cup while at Parma. But it was his time at Chelsea in the 90s and early 2000s that cemented his legacy and made him an all-time great.

The Italian’s silky skills and intelligent understanding of the game had rarely been seen in the English game at the time, and he was able to repeatedly baffle opposing defenders. Arguably his greatest contribution to English football was when he bewildered Jamie Carragher with his twinkle toes, leaving the Liverpool defender chasing shadows and leaving him laying on his back not once, but twice, in an incredible piece of play.

His impact on the Premier League resulted in him being voted as Chelsea’s greatest-ever player, and he also remains a firm favourite among neutral fans to this day.

Eden Hazard

Premier League Clubs: Chelsea (2012-2019)

Regarded as one of the hottest young prospects in European football at the time, Eden Hazard arrived in the Premier League in 2012 joining Chelsea from Lille when he was 21 years old. The Belgian immediately lit up the league upon his arrival and justified the reported £32 million that Chelsea had spent on him.

Hazard’s explosive pace and tantalising technical ability tormented defenders, but it was also his incredibly low centre of gravity and core strength which made him almost impossible to dispossess despite his diminutive stature. His breathtaking dribbling ability and collection of stunning goals brought him numerous individual accolades, including being named in the FIFA FIFPRO Men’s World 11 in 2018.

A big-money move saw Hazard leave the Premier League for Spanish giants Real Madrid in 2019, but fitness issues meant that the Belgian never recaptured the sensational form he had shown at times for Chelsea. Shortly after leaving Real Madrid by mutual consent, Eden Hazard announced his retirement from football on the 10th of October 2023 at the age of 32.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Premier League Clubs: Manchester United (2003-2009 & 2021-2022)

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived in the Premier League in August 2009, joining Manchester United from Sporting CP. The £12 million that United paid for the Portuguese youngster was an English record fee for a teenager at the time and only added to the buzz around Ronaldo following his arrival.

The jury was out on the tricky winger for the first few months of his Premier League tenure. Although he was talented, many fans and pundits questioned his incessant showboating and wondered whether he would ever fulfil his potential. Over the following years, Ronaldo would emphatically silence his critics and develop into one of the greatest footballers the sport has ever seen.

Spending his prime years abroad with Real Madrid prevents Ronaldo from ranking higher on this list, but his impact during his developing years is more than enough to secure his legacy in the Premier League. In particular, his 2007-08 season, which saw him net 31 goals in 34 Premier League games for Man Utd, led his side to a league title and the first of five Ballon d’Ors for the Portuguese superstar.

Steven Gerrard

Premier League Clubs: Liverpool (1998-2015)

It isn’t hard to see why Steven Gerrard is held in such high regard by Liverpool fans. He was a captain, a leader and a hero to supporters of the Merseyside club for seventeen years and contributed more than his fair share of the club’s most iconic Premier League moments.

Gerrard was the epitome of an all-action midfielder. He had an engine that enabled him to work box-to-box, helping his side out defensively with his ball-winning ability, dictating and creating play is midfield with his passing range and also having an eye for goal, many of which were spectacular long-range efforts.

Whether it was the highs of pulling something out of the bag when his club needed him most or suffering the lowest of lows by slipping to allow Demba Ba through to score and effectively ending their 2013-14 title hopes, Gerrard always seemed to be front and centre for Liverpool’s most iconic moments during his time at the club.

Eric Cantona

Premier League Clubs: Manchester United (1992-1997)

Arguably the most enigmatic figure to ever play the game, Eric Cantona was rarely out of the spotlight during his time in the Premier League, for both positive and negative reasons. His gracefulness on the ball and magnetic charisma made the Frenchman a legend for both Manchester United and the Premier League as a whole.

His trademark turned-up collar and iconic goal celebrations made ‘King Eric’ one of the most recognisable faces to play in the Premier League in the 1990s. But for all the good he brought to the league, there was another side to Cantona which only added to the aura surrounding him.

The infamous incident of Cantona leaping into the stands and landing a ‘kung-fu’ style kick on a supporter remains one of the most talked about moments in the history of the Premier League to this day.

Didier Drogba

Premier League Clubs: Chelsea (2004-2012 & 2014-2015)

Renowned as a ‘big game player’, Didier Drogba always had a knack for finding a goal for his side when it mattered most. Helping lead Chelsea to multiple trophies, including four Premier League titles, Drogba beat out the likes of Frank Lampard and John Terry to be voted the club’s greatest-ever player in a fan poll by Chelsea Magazine in 2012.

The Ivorian also had a flair for the theatrics and was known to partake in some of the uglier aspects of the sport, including a comically embarrassing ‘scrap’ with Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann.

But whether he was riling up opposition fans with his underhanded tactics or stunning them into silence with a breathtaking goal, Didier Drogba was simply impossible to ignore.

Gareth Bale

Premier League Clubs: Tottenham (2007-2013 & 2020-2021)

Gareth Bale moved from Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur in a relatively understated transfer in May 2007 and was simply regarded as a promising full-back. An underwhelming start to life at Spurs followed and few predicted that this young lad from Cardiff, Wales would develop into one of the greatest footballers of his generation.

After settling in at Tottenham, Bale began being deployed in a more attacking role on the left wing, and it is here that he began to skyrocket into superstardom. He suddenly developed into a lightning-quick, strong and technically gifted attacker which defenders up and down the Premier League were helpless to stop.

Particularly during his last couple of years at White Hart Lane, Bale was seemingly mesmerising opposition players and fans alike with breathtaking dribbles and stunning goals. The Wales international went on to have some big moments at Real Madrid after his move to Spain in 2013, but Premier League fans will always remember him for his astonishing performances for Spurs in the early 2010s.

Luis Surez

Premier League Clubs: Liverpool (2011-2014)

Certainly one of the more controversial figures to ever play in the Premier League, there is no denying that Luis Suárez more than made his mark on the competition during his three-and-a-half-year spell. Suarez joined Liverpool in January 2011 and made a strong start to his career in England, but his impact across the following seasons is what cements him as a Premier League great.

The former Ajax quickly developed into one of the most feared strikers the league has ever seen. After missing the beginning of the 2013-14 season due to suspension, Suarez made his first start of the campaign on the 25th of September and then proceeded to produce arguably the greatest individual season in the league’s history, scoring 31 goals in his 33 appearances that campaign.

It would be remiss not to mention the ugly racial abuse incident against Patrice Evra or the shocking bite on Branislav Ivanovic that marred Suarez’s stay in the Premier League. But while he may not be the most popular player to ever play in the competition, there is no denying the talent and formidable form he produced while at Liverpool.

Wayne Rooney

Premier League Clubs: Everton (2002-2004 & 2017-2018) & Manchester United (2004-2017)

There was a lot of expectation put on Wayne Rooney since the moment he broke onto the scene and introduced himself to the footballing world as a teenager at Everton. Rooney scored his first Premier League goal when he was just 16 years old, curling in a spectacular long-range effort to secure a last-minute victory over Arsenal - ending their 30-match unbeaten run in the process.

He was billed as one of the most promising talents that England have ever produced and, after a 16-year stint in the Premier League, it’s fair to say that he lived up to his lofty expectations. After joining Manchester United in 2004, Rooney went on to become the club’s record goalscorer and win a plethora of silverware over a storied career, including five Premier League titles.

Simply put, there was nothing that Wayne Rooney could not do. A rare blend of exquisite technical ability and a raw, aggressive style of play, he was thrilling to watch any time he stepped out onto the pitch and contributed to some of the Premier League’s most iconic moments.

Thierry Henry

Premier League Clubs: Arsenal (1999-2007 & 2011-2012)

Thierry Henry is one of the most graceful players to ever play in the Premier League but also had an underlying aggression and unwavering desire to win. His delightful dribbling ability and eye for a goal made him a nightmare for opposition defenders throughout his stay in England.

Henry oozed charisma and became the leading man in one of the greatest sides the league has ever seen as part of Arsène Wenger’s invincible Arsenal team in the 2003-04 season. The Frenchman also played at a time when Arsenal were locked in a rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the most intense feud the competition has ever seen, and Henry more than played his part in that rivalry.

An elite-level goalscorer and natural-born entertainer, Theirry Henry is rightfully at the top of most people’s conversation when discussing the best footballers to ever play in the Premier League.

2024-09-08T04:00:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd