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The 15 Most Underrated Premier League Players of All Time

We take a look at the most underrated Premier League players of all time. These are the unheralded players who didn’t get the attention or praise that they deserved throughout their careers.

15. Jermaine Defoe

Jermaine Defoe scored 162 goals and is the ninth highest Premier League goal scorer of all-time, scoring 162 goals from 496 appearances. Despite interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, Defoe never played for one of the traditional “big clubs”.

14. Mark Viduka

One of the premier centre forwards in Europe in his prime, Mark Viduka scored 92 goals in 240 games for Leeds, Middlesbrough and Newcastle. The Aussie was a calm finisher and was able to use his hulking frame to hold up play.

During his career there was a perception that he lacked ambition and intensity which is why he often flew under the radar.

13. Lucas Radebe

Former South African centre-back Lucas Radebe was known for his flamboyancy and acrobatic skills, playing 201 games for Leeds United. A prolific man-marker, he was able to frustrate and shutdown opposition strikers with ease.

Playing in a team that included Rio Ferdinand, Alan Smith, Harry Kewell and Dominic Matteo, you can see why Radebe is one of the most underrated players in Premier League history.

12. Danny Murphy

Danny Murphy scored 50 goals and 55 assists in a career that lasted 417 Premier League games. After eight years at Liverpool, Murphy captained Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, and led the Cottagers to an unprecedented 2010 UEFA Europa League Final.

11. Tim Cahill

Another Aussie on the list, Tim Cahill is one of the most underrated Premier League players of his generation. The box-to-box midfielder had exceptional aerial ability, aggressiveness and a powerful playing style that led to 56 goals and 22 assists from 226 matches.

Cahill had a career year in 2006 and was named as one of 50 nominees for the Ballon d’Or. If he had played for a bigger club in Europe, or an international team with greater pedigree than Australia, there’s no doubt we’d have seen a greater appreciation for Cahill.

10. Sami Hyypia

Hyppia became the first ever captain in Liverpool’s history not to be from the British Isles. He played 318 games in the Premier League and scored 22 times as a centre-back. Hyypia had a formidable partnership with Jamie Carragher at the back, and the pair won the 2004-05 Champions League together.

9. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink

One of the most underrated players in Premier League history is two-time Golden Boot winner Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. One of Chelsea’s greatest ever strikers, Hasselbaink scored 127 goals in 288 appearances thanks to his lightning quick pace and an explosive shot.

8. Olivier Giroud

The ever reliable Olivier Giroud scored 90 goals in 255 Premier League games for Chelsea and Arsenal. Often overlooked in favour of bigger names, Giroud is one of the most underrated Premier League players in history.

Giroud was able to utilise his physical strength and heading accuracy as a target man up front, and he could pull something out of nothing, with his scorpion kick against Crystal Palace in 2017 earning him a Puskas Award.

7. Gareth Barry

Gareth Barry holds the record for most Premier League appearances with 653 but he barely gets a mention when people talk about the best midfielders in Premier League history. The former Aston Villa captain was consistent beyond belief, and he won a Premier League title with Manchester City.

6. Emile Heskey

Emile Heskey was overshadowed by Michael Owen and Robbie Fowler during his career at Liverpool. An unselfish player, he had a fierce combination of pace, physical strength and intelligence. During his Premier League career he finished with 110 goals and 53 assists.

5. Thomas Sorensen

Thomas Sorensen was picked up by Sunderland from Danish club Odense on the recommendation of Premier League legend and fellow Dane Peter Schmeichel. Sorensen went on to appear in 364 Premier League games and registered 107 clean sheets while playing at Stoke City, Aston Villa and Sunderland.

4. Shola Ameobi

Shola Ameobi made 298 Premier League appearances scoring 43 goals and is considered one of the great super subs of the Premier League. Ameobi became a Newcastle United cult hero and was known as the “Mackem Slayer”, thanks to his 7 goals in 16 games against fierce rivals Sunderland in the Tyne–Wear derby.

3. Gareth Southgate

Gareth Southgate became the first Middlesbrough captain in history to lift a trophy when the club went on to win the 2004 Football League Cup. He remains one of the most underrated players in Premier League history, registering 136 clean sheets from 426 Premier League appearances in a career played mostly at centre-back.

2. Steed Malbranque

Steed Malbranque netted 39 goals and 55 assists from 336 games in the Premier League, and he became a fan favourite at Fulham, Tottenham and Sunderland.

Malbranque was even a favourite of former Prime Minister Tony Blair who had mentioned on national TV that he was one of three players that caught his eye.

1. James Beattie

James Beattie is the most underrated Premier League player in history. Beattie scored 91 times and added 37 assists in 331 games which earned him cult hero status wherever he played.

Unless you’re a fan of Blackburn, Southampton, Everton, Stoke or Blackpool, you wouldn’t realise how good a striker he was. Injuries limited Beattie’s potential but he was able to hit the back of the net regularly for modest teams. He even finished as high as third in 2002-03 for the Golden Boot, behind only Thierry Henry and Ruud van Nistelrooy.

Matt Ieriko

Matt Ieriko is a freelance writer who’s evolved his lifelong passion for sport into the creation of WolfgangSport.com in 2020 – an American sports blog covering the NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, MLS and more. As an Australian, he’s always been fascinated with the cultural differences and global significance of sports in America.

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One response to “The 15 Most Underrated Premier League Players of All Time”

  1. 5 Most Underrated Premier League Strikers of All-Time – Just Another Football Blog

    […] Giroud is one of the most underrated Premier League players in history. He was never considered an elite finisher nor was he a glamorous player. Giroud lacked […]

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