11 GREATEST BRITISH PLAYMAKERS IN FOOTBALL HISTORY [RANKED]

Throughout football history, there have been some phenomenal creative masterminds who have graced the pitch. British players are often put into a bracket of being physical players who work hard. However, some of the best playmakers in football history are from the home nations

From trailblazing greats like World Cup winner Bobby Charlton and Northern Ireland's finest, George Best, to Manchester United masterminds Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, here are the 11 greatest British playmakers in football history.

Paul Scholes

Career span: 1993-2013

Throughout his entire footballing career, even in the latter stages, Paul Scholes was one of the best and most controlling midfielders in the world. His style, despite being a controlling presence in midfield who would be spraying incredible, long-range passes all over the pitch for 90 minutes straight, was a very creative one and he always found himself in creative positions providing for his teammates.

Scholes was almost telepathic with his teammates such as Ryan Giggs and Wayne Rooney throughout his time playing for Manchester United and he was a huge part of why Sir Alex Ferguson's sides were so dominant and dynamic going forward, as they had a player behind them such as Scholes who could create a chance out of nothing.

Stanley Matthews

Career span: 1932-1965

Stanley Matthews is one of the greatest English players of all time and his talents, despite being known by many people, are greatly underappreciated as he is arguably one of the most creative and dynamic English players of all time.

Playmakers are often viewed as midfielders, but Matthews, who was a winger and held the nickname 'The Wizard of the Dribble,' is one of the best British playmakers of all time. Through his world-class dribbling ability and elite crossing ability, Matthews' chance creation as he was able to drift past players with ease was some of the best we have ever seen.

Kenny Dalglish

Career span: 1969-1990

Scotland, Liverpool and Celtic legend, Kenny Dalglish, is one of the most intelligent forwards in football history. Despite Dalglish having the reputation as just a striker, he regularly dropped deep into midfield to create as he was often the most creative and talented player on his team.

Dalgish's career numbers in terms of goals and assists are unbelievable, and although he was a phenomenal goalscorer, his numbers in terms of assists almost match his goalscoring numbers, which shows just how valuable of a playmaker he was for the sides he played for. The Scotsman's ability to drop into midfield and link up with his teammates is what made him such a talented and creative playmaker.

Paul Gascoigne

Career span: 1985-2004

One of the most dynamic and creative English midfielders of all time, Paul Gascoigne was a maverick on the pitch. The Geordie, who was most known for his excellent spells playing for his boyhood club, Newcastle, Tottenham Hotspur and Rangers, was one of the most creatively free players in recent football history and was a world-class playmaker during his career.

Like Stanley Matthews, Paul Gascoigne's dribbling ability was a key factor in his ability as a playmaker as he was able to seamlessly make up ground on the pitch, going from deep in midfield to high up on the pitch almost instantly. Gascgoine's dribbling and creative ability had an elegance behind them but he was also a powerful and strong player which also helped him shrug off players.

Peter Beardsley

Career span: 1979-1999

Peter Beardsley is one of the most underrated English players of all time. Despite him being a legend for multiple huge clubs and a legend at international level for England, despite his sensational talents, he is not mentioned alongside some of the English greats even though he absolutely should be.

Beardsley was a versatile player and could operate pretty much anywhere across the front three positions as well as playing just behind the striker. His sharp passing combined with his brilliant football IQ is a huge reason behind his elite ability as a playmaker for both club and country.

Ryan Giggs

Career span: 1990-2014

Being the all-time leader for assists in the Premier League, Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs is an absolute must inclusion on the list of greatest British playmakers in football history.

Giggs, early on in his career, relied heavily on his incredible dribbling ability and pace to create chances for his teammates and to score goals but, as he got older, the Welshman stayed out on the left wing despite no longer having the pace but his performances absolutely did not diminish due to his incredible intelligence and football IQ which allowed him to enjoy such a long and successful career at the very highest level.

Glenn Hoddle

Career span: 1975-1995

Glenn Hoddle, a fan-favourite throughout his career, is the epitome of a deep-lying playmaker. For Hoddle to play in that position for both club and country way before the time of that role being so refined and sought after by coaches just shows how skilled he was technically and how intelligent he was that he could drop into pockets of space on the pitch almost unnoticed at times and create endless amounts of chances.

Hoddle was mainly known for his elegance and swagger on the pitch but it was his creative ability as a playmaker in the form of precise long and short-range passes which made him so good.

John Charles

Career span: 1949-1974

Known as the 'Gentle Giant' with a huge 6'2" frame, Leeds United, Juventus and Wales legend John Charles is one of the best playmakers of all time and it is even more impressive that he achieved this whilst also occasionally playing centre-back.

Despite the very high-level defensive abilities which he also had, Charles' technical ability is what made him such a great of the game. His physical attributes were a big part of why he was so successful because he was so big and strong, even when defenders would try and take him down, he was strong enough to stay on his feet and power through. Charles formed great partnerships with his teammates, particularly for Leeds and Juventus and he was not your typical big physical striker, he was also very unselfish and willing to help out his teammates, which makes his goal return even more impressive.

Jim Baxter

Career span: 1957-1970

Taking the number three spot on the list of greatest British playmakers in football history is a man who is considered one of Scotland's greatest ever players, Jim Baxter. Nothing summed up Baxter's style of play better than he once described how football should be played, once saying: "Treating the ball like a woman. Give it a cuddle, caress it a wee bit, take your time."

This is exactly how Baxter played. He played the game at his own pace as pretty much everyone else he stepped on a pitch with was not on his level technically, which made him one of the greatest playmakers of all time. Baxter stood out during his time as football was a much more physical game which was often a battle, but still, Baxter implemented his more relaxed and classy style of play which he did so flawlessly.

George Best

Career span: 1963-1984

Manchester United and Northern Ireland legend, George Best, is one of the biggest mavericks in football history and played the game his way. Best, who operated as a winger and attacking midfielder during his career, is known as one of the most talented attacking players ever and is absolutely one of the best playmakers to ever grace the pitch.

To sum up just how good of a player Best was, Brazilian legend and one of the all-time greats of the game, Pele, declared Best as the greatest player he has ever seen. Best's balance, agility and ability to stay up on his feet despite defenders swiping at his legs for 90 minutes is something only supremely talented players can do and that is exactly what Best did on a regular basis.

Bobby Charlton

Career span: 1956-1980

Taking the top spot on the list of greatest British playmakers in football history is England World Cup-winning icon, Bobby Charlton. The Manchester United legend, who is one of the most popular British players ever, was looked at throughout his career as technically a class above.

Charlton, who played the majority of his career as a winger, also played many games as an attacking midfielder and it was in this position that he was able to show all of his attributes and showcase just how much of an unbelievable playmaker he was. The England great's playmaking ability came from his incredible and intelligent passing range and his ability to dictate the game and make the opposition turn into statues.

All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt, correct as of 11.09.24

2024-09-14T07:47:32Z dg43tfdfdgfd