Sport
25 Year Colossus All Star Premier League XI
In celebration of the 25th season in the Premier League era, we asked you to produce a team worthy of such an anniversary, here’s how you voted.
GK – Peter Schmeichel
With 310 Premier League caps, the four-time UEFA goalkeeper of the year is widely regarded as one of the greatest keepers of all time. Having scored for Villa in a 3-2 defeat at Everton, Schmeichel is one of only five keepers to have netted in the Premier League, being the first to do so. A Euro 1992 winner and five-time Premier League champion, the ‘Great Dane’ kept 129 clean sheets and remains one of the Premier League’s most popular imports.
RB – Gary Neville
A rare breed, five-year club captain Gary Neville can boast being a true one club man in a career which spanned 19 seasons and 400 Premier League appearances for United. A member of the ‘class of 92’, Neville was later a mainstay in one of the most successful teams of all time, let alone the Premier League, winning a remarkable eight titles. Whilst rarely threatening the scorers, Neville retired with an impressive 64% win rate in the PL and remains one of Europe’s most decorated players with 20 trophies to his name.
CB – Tony Adams
The statue erected at Arsenal’s new Emirates home is testament to the regard in which Adams is held amongst the Arsenal faithful. The twice title winning captain made 669 appearances for the gunners, 255 of which came in the Premier League era, scoring on 48 occasions. Premier League all-time record scorer, Alan Shearer has labelled Adams the best defender that he faced, a glowing endorsement for his inclusion in our all-star eleven.
CB – Rio Ferdinand
Having been scouted by Frank Lampard senior, Ferdinand began his career at West Ham where he made his senior debut at the age of just 17, coming off the bench on the final day of the 95/96 season. Rio would go on to make 540 Premier League appearances, 81 of which saw his defences keeping clean sheets. A move to United in the summer of 2002 made the former ballet school scholar the most expensive defender in the world for the second time in his career, an accolade he justified by winning six Premier League trophies under Alex Ferguson.
LB – Ashley Cole
England’s most capped full-back, Cole was once hailed by then-manager Carlo Ancelotti as the ‘best left-back in the world’. An integral part of ‘the invincibles’ team that won the title in the 2003-04 season, Cole won two Premier League trophies and three FA Cups whilst in North London. His trophy cabinet continued to swell after a controversial transfer to neighbours Chelsea in 2006 where he would add a further Premier League title, three FA Cups, one League Cup and one Champions League winners medal. In doing so Cole became only the second player to have won the double with two different clubs and with seven medals the player to have won the most FA Cups.
LM – Ryan Giggs
With 632 appearances Ryan Giggs has played more Premier League games than any other player in history, and with the label of ‘most decorated footballer’ Giggsy was a shoe-in for our Premier League XI. In a career spanning 24 seasons for United the one club man won a staggering 13 Premier League titles and holds the record for the most assists in the competition with 271 to his name. Giggs was the only player to play in each of the first 22 Premier League seasons and the only player to have scored in each of the first 21 seasons, earning him a place in the PFA’s Team of the Century.
CM – Roy Keane
Combative and commanding, Keane is renowned as one of the Premier League’s hardest competitors, picking up 11 red cards in his 12-year tenure at the club. The outspoken pundit and former Republic of Ireland manager captained Fergie’s United side for eight years, winning four titles during this period, taking his tally to seven in total. The joint-most decorated Irish footballer of all time accumulated 19 major trophies, 17 of which came whilst at United including a 1999 Champions League winners medal.
CM – Paul Scholes
The third of the ‘class of ‘92’ to feature in this side, Scholes also completes a one club trio for United. Described by Alex Ferguson as the stand out player of his generation, Scholes is the most decorated English player of all time with 25 trophies, featuring 11 Premier League titles. Whilst criticised for a poor disciplinary record, Scholes received plaudits throughout his career for his professional nature with regards to his rejection of the celebrity lifestyle to which so many Premier League stars succumb. Amassing 107 goals in his 499 Premier League appearances, Scholes is one of an elite group of four midfielders to have scored 100 Premier League goals.
RM – Cristiano Ronaldo
Perceived by some to be the best player in the world, Ronaldo’s inclusion in our Premier League XI is a no-brainer, despite a spell in England lasting just six years. Scoring 84 in 196 Premier League games Manchester was very much the making of Ronny, since going on to break record after record in the process of becoming a global brand and one of the greatest players of all time.
ST – Thierry Henry
With 175 goals in 258 games, Henry’s Premier League goals to games ratio is unparalleled. Arsenal’s record goalscorer is fifth in the all-time scoring charts, his goals helping the gunners to two titles in his eight seasons in North London. Four golden boots and two player of the season awards are testament to Henry’s vital contribution to an ‘invincible’ side which possessed no shortage of quality.
ST – Luis Suarez
Never far from the headlines, Suarez’s class in undeniable. In what was, for Liverpool fans, an all too short four-year period on Merseyside Suarez bagged 69 goals in his 110 league appearances, contributing 23 assists and picking up a golden boot and player of the season award in the process. A controversial figure, Suarez’s behaviour off the pitch somewhat overshadowed his sizeable achievements, but not sufficiently to stop you voting for his inclusion in our all-time Premier League XI.
