'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#8 Olivier Dacourt
Leeds United's side from the late 1990s until the early 2000s is one of the most fondly remembered in Premier League history. Filled with young talent, David O'Leary's side stunned everyone to make the semi-finals of the 2000-01 Champions League and looked set to contend at the top of the Premier League for years to come.
Of course, that never happened. Leeds eventually fell apart and were relegated in 2004. But fans still look back in admiration at players like Jonathan Woodgate, Harry Kewell and Alan Smith. One player from that team who's become unfairly forgotten, though, is French midfielder Olivier Dacourt.
A tenacious, hard-tackling holding midfielder, Dacourt had played in the Premier League in the 1998-99 season for Everton, but after a fall-out, ended up heading back to France with Lens. His performances back in Ligue 1 quickly convinced Leeds to bring him back to the Premier League, and in the summer of 2000, they broke their transfer record to sign him, paying Lens £7m for his services.
His impact at Elland Road was instant. Dacourt fit into Leeds' midfield perfectly, playing alongside the likes of Lee Bowyer and David Batty to give O'Leary's side some real bite. He made 48 appearances in all competitions – 33 in the Premier League – and the fact that he picked up the most yellow cards for the side was simply a testament to his tough style.
The Frenchman helped Leeds to that famous Champions League semi-final in his first season – where they fell short against Valencia – but remained a regular until O'Leary was fired at the end of the 2001-02 season. From there, he fell out of favour with new boss Terry Venables and in the summer of 2003, made a move to Italian side Roma.
Since then, Premier League fans have largely forgotten Dacourt – a brief return to the Premier League with Fulham in 2008-09 essentially went unnoticed. However, the tenacious Frenchman was a key part of a highly successful Leeds side, and deserves far more recognition today.
#9 John Arne Riise
While they never reached the Premier League-winning heights of today's side, Liverpool were still a highly successful team in the early to mid-2000s. The Reds won multiple trophies under Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez, including the 2003 EFL Cup, the 2005 Champions League and the 2006 FA Cup. One of the side's key men – who seems to have been forgotten today – was Norwegian international John Arne Riise.
Able to play as a left-back, left wing-back and an outright left-winger, Riise joined Liverpool for just £4m from Monaco in the summer of 2001. His impact was immediate as he played in every Premier League fixture in his debut season, scoring seven goals – including strikes against Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Norwegian remained largely an ever-present for his next six seasons at Anfield. He was widely loved by Reds fans for his tremendous stamina and engine, but mainly for his ability when it came to shooting. For a player used primarily as a defender, Riise had a remarkably hard shot, which allowed him to score plenty of spectacular goals over the years.
Despite being a dependable member of Benitez's side – he started in both the 2005 Champions League final and 2006 FA Cup final – by the 2007-08 season, Riise's starting spot was under threat. New signing Fabio Aurelio was often preferred to the Norwegian, and it came as no surprise when he departed for Roma at the end of the campaign.
However, Riise returned to the Premier League with Fulham in 2011, and spent three seasons at Craven Cottage. Although he wasn't able to find the same level of success there that he did at Liverpool, he still became a firm fan favourite. Overall, with a Premier League record of 321 appearances and 21 goals, he remains one of the competition's more underrated defenders.
#10 Georgi Kinkladze
Thanks to their takeover at the hands of the Abu Dhabi Group in 2008, Manchester City are now one of the world's richest and most powerful football clubs. The Cityzens routinely attract some of the world's best players to the Etihad, and have seen massive success over the past decade.
However, that certainly wasn't the case in the 1990s. City struggled for traction throughout the early years of the Premier League, and suffered an embarrassing relegation from the top flight in the 1995-96 season. Unsurprisingly, City fans hardly look upon the period with fondness.
Even so, a number of players stand out as cult heroes 25 years on, and one of them is Georgi Kinkladze.
A Georgian international, Kinkladze had been playing at home before signing with City for a fee of around £2m in the summer of 1995. And despite City's appalling form during the subsequent campaign, the attacking midfielder quickly became wildly popular with fans.
Despite barely being able to speak English, Kinkladze had a big impact on the pitch, with his winding runs from midfield and the wing stunning fans and opponents alike. With ball control that was nearly unparalleled in the Premier League at the time, the Georgian scored one of the most spectacular goals of the era against Southampton.
Sadly, a single season was all that Premier League fans saw of Kinkladze. Despite his best efforts, City were relegated at the end of his debut campaign. And rather than jump ship to another Premier League side, the Georgian remained at Maine Road, where he continued to add to his cult status with City fans.
Once labelled the greatest City player he'd ever seen by Oasis guitarist – and City fan – Noel Gallagher, Kinkladze only racked up 37 Premier League games and is now largely forgotten outside of Manchester. However, there's definitely an argument that along with other overseas imports at the time, he paved the way for future City greats like Aguero, Silva, and De Bruyne.
