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Who is the greatest Premier League midfielder of all time?

Who is the greatest Premier League midfielder of all time?

  • Paul Scholes

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Steven Gerrard

    Votes: 5 45.5%

  • Frank Lampard

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Roy Keane

    Votes: 2 18.2%

  • Patrick Vieira

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Ryan Giggs

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Yaya Toure

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • David Silva

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Cesc Fabregas

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Someone else

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    11
Firebat

Firebat

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We're only discussing those who's time in the league has already finished, so that excludes the likes of De Bruyne and Kante.

The shortlist I've managed to come up with is (in no particular order):

- Paul Scholes
- Steven Gerrard
- Frank Lampard
- Roy Keane
- Patrick Vieira
- Ryan Giggs
- Yaya Toure
- David Silva
- Cesc Fabregas

Personally, Vieira and Keane are my top 2, just because of those legendary battles in the early 2000s. They could do it all on the ball and off the ball, and most importantly off the field too. They were inspiring leaders and fierce competitors, more than just midfielders. They're not short of major honours either.

Which one is the greatest to grace the league and why? Is there someone not mentioned above that deserves to be in the conversation?

Discuss.
 
As a LFC fan it has to be Stevie G for me.

Remember he played in an average team.

His goal in the CL final being 3-0 down, inspiring LFC to win on pens was the greatest peformance by an English midfielder in the CL.
 
Steven Gerrard 100%

Frank Lampard was probably the most intelligent attacking midfielder who was a part of a solid team/squad

Cesc Fabregas was an artist but was let down by his team/squad at Arsenal. I’m glad he won something with Chelsea as he was too good not to have at least 1 premier league medal.

Yaya Toure was maybe the best modern day DM, considering how the premier league really became very difficult with quality players after Chelsea and City were splashing a lot of cash.

Roy Keane is a bit overrated because of his hot headed nature, he wasn’t better or more intelligent than Patrick Viera who was probably the best DM until Chelsea took over with excessive cash and brought in great DMs like Essien (who should be on this list).
 
Rana said:
Steven Gerrard 100%

Frank Lampard was probably the most intelligent attacking midfielder who was a part of a solid team/squad

Cesc Fabregas was an artist but was let down by his team/squad at Arsenal. I’m glad he won something with Chelsea as he was too good not to have at least 1 premier league medal.

Yaya Toure was maybe the best modern day DM, considering how the premier league really became very difficult with quality players after Chelsea and City were splashing a lot of cash.

Roy Keane is a bit overrated because of his hot headed nature, he wasn’t better or more intelligent than Patrick Viera who was probably the best DM until Chelsea took over with excessive cash and brought in great DMs like Essien (who should be on this list).
Click to expand...

I agree Frank was the smartest midfielder and argualby the most hard working who achieved more than his talent.

Its a shame England team couldnt find a way for both of them to play reguarly together.
 
I'm not a Premier league fan, but I play pes and Vieira is easily the most valuable iconic midfielder card in the game. Best defensive midfielder to have. Just bulldozes any opposition player with the ball to the ground through his brute physicality:yk
 
Steven Gerrard. He alone won may matches even tournaments for Liverpool. The likes of Keane and Scholes who too were great players but were surrounded by much better midfielders during their playing days. Stevie could do it all on his own.
 
I’ve always rated Gerrard the highest, both as a box to box midfielder and as a leader. He didn’t play in the strongest of teams at the time but this did not prevent him from inspiring them to numerous trophies and huge victories. He took his men into battle, he lifted the performance of everyone around him, he never gave up, and he would so often carry the team to success.
 
Last edited:
If we (rightfully) praise SG for his match-winning influences, of which there are a number, we should also take into account his infamous match-losing mistake. Considering what was at stake, that slip is surely one of the most costly mistakes in LFC's recent history. He had the chance to go very close to putting at least 1 PL to his name but he choked it.

I'm not in any way judging him solely on that error, or suggesting it's his fault alone that they didn't win the league, but that moment of crumbling under pressure with such high stakes does relegate him from top spot in my opinion. It might be harsh but matches and titles are won and lost in key moments, and that's where the greatest players stand up (like he did in Istanbul, but the opposite of what he did vs Chelsea).

Taking into account the major honours lists of some of the other players, who were not just passive elements but key influences in their side, give them a stronger case for top spot.
 
Gerrard was a monster girnkifting really poor Liverpool sides but Mascherano and Alonso were something else when they were there together.

Has to be Keane for binding that United team together the way he did.

There's a strong argument for Toure, Lampard, Kante, schooled and a fair few others though.

Fabregas was seriously underrated. Pires, Overmars, Petit right up there too.
 
Paul scholes hands down, he's the GOAT EPL midfielder.
Xabi Alonso was my favorite, but he wasn't as good in Liverpool as he was in RM.
 
The title makes no sense.

Is it Premier League or is it all-time?

If it’s Premier League, then I’d say Steven Gerrard.

But if it’s “all-time”, then it’s obviously Bobby Charlton, with a word for Johnny Haynes. And Duncan Edwards, poor guy.
 
Scholes.

Gerard and Lampard never did it for England.
 
James said:
Did Scholes?

All three were arguably misused by Sven.
Click to expand...

Well, if goal scoring is an indicator for an attacking midfielder Scholes got 14 goals in 66 appearances.

Gerrard got 21 in 114.

Lampard did a bit better with 29 from 106 appearances but failed badly in tournaments, especially the 2010 WC when he blasted it over the bar from prime scoring position again and again, when he would have buried it for Chelsea.

I think Scholes’ generation played to around their potential for England, while the Gerrard / Lampard “golden generation” repeatedly failed and disappointed.
 
Robert said:
Well, if goal scoring is an indicator for an attacking midfielder Scholes got 14 goals in 66 appearances.

Gerrard got 21 in 114.

Lampard did a bit better with 29 from 106 appearances but failed badly in tournaments, especially the 2010 WC when he blasted it over the bar from prime scoring position again and again, when he would have buried it for Chelsea.

I think Scholes’ generation played to around their potential for England, while the Gerrard / Lampard “golden generation” repeatedly failed and disappointed.
Click to expand...
Lampard had an equaliser chalked off v Germany...
 
For me Kante is right there. He is not British, so of course he won't be getting the limelight that Lampard or Gerrard gets. Ofcourse he is not a goal scoring midfielder but at his peak he is just the best in his role not just in EPL but also at a global level.
 
Granted that they are still actively playing but Kante and de Bruyne should be on the list.
 
Not a stats guy, but best midfielder I've seen in premiership is Luca Modric
 
Last edited:
Manunited18 said:
Not a stats guy, but best midfielder I've seen in premiership is Luca Modric
Click to expand...

Great player but his best years were arguably for Real Madrid.

I would go with Steven Gerard or Claude Makelele..
 
Roy Keane or Ryan Giggs. Nobody else comes close in my book. I've watched the PL since its inception and seen the first div too. Those two above were just a class above.

After them I would say Viera.

Stevie and Lampard for me are very far down the list. Lampard in the PL would be higher than stevie.
 
When Kanté and de Bruyne retire and their PL career can be reflected on, they will be right up there in this conversation. 5 of the last 6 seasons, the title-winning team has contained KDB or Kanté. Soon to be 6 of the last 7 when de Bruyne wins again this year. True ATGs of the league.

For now, the league titles of Keane, Scholes, Vieira, Giggs, Lampard puts them above the others.
 
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