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#3 Eric Cantona - Manchester United
Premier League legend Eric Cantona is often remembered for his hot-headed nature, and provocative and aggressive approach to the game. However, his footballing ability was second to none, especially in terms of creativity in scoring goals and creating chances for his teammates.
Cantona was born in Marseille in 1966, and started off his career in Ligue 1 in France. He was signed by Leeds United in January 1992 for an initial loan worth £100,000. That turned into an obligation to buy him on a permanent deal for an additional £900,000.
In just under 11 months at Leeds, Cantona scored an eye-catching 14 goals and provided five assists in 34 games, in what was his first-ever spell in England. That caught Manchester United's eye, who signed him for a mere £1.2 million in November 1992.
The Frenchman went on to score 81 goals and assist 62 goals in 180 games for The Red Devils, his most notable season being the 1993-94 campaign. Having finished third in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 1993 with Leeds, Cantona was expected to win it with one of Europe's most resurgent sides at the time in Manchester United. He scored a scorching 24 goals and provided 13 assists in 45 appearances across all competitions.
However, Cantona did not even finish in the top three of the Ballon d'Or race. Barcelona's Hristo Stoichkov won the award, with Roberto Baggio of Juventus and Paolo Maldini of AC Milan finishing second and third, respectively.
It was a huge surprise, considering his exploits in the previous season. But it's safe to say that that did not deter Cantona from being a world-class captain and player for the Premier League giants.
#2 Virgil van Dijk - Liverpool FC
Virgil van Dijk was born in Breda, Netherlands in 1991. He made his way through the ranks at local club Groningen before earning a move to Scottish giants Glasgow Celtic.
His tactical and physically dominant approach to the game earned him attention from the Premier League, with Southampton signing the player in 2015. During his time there, Van Dijk showed other sides why he was valued so high, forming a solid partnership with Jose Fonte for The Saints.
In 2018, Liverpool came calling and bid a whopping £75 million to secure his services. The Dutchman made an instant and telling impact at Anfield.
During his first full season (2018-19), Van Dijk played in all of Liverpool's 38 Premier League games. He averaged 1.0 tackles, 1.1 interceptions, 1.1 offsides and an amazing 5.2 clearances per game. The Dutchman was also instrumental in Liverpool's sixth triumph in the Champions League.
His performances earned him praise from across the world, with many naming Virgil van Dijk the favourite to win the Ballon d'Or award. He would have been the first defender since Fabio Cannavaro (2006) to win it.
However, Van Dijk finished second in the final voting round, losing out on the award to Lionel Messi by just seven votes. In hindsight, he'd probably choose that 4-0 at Anfield over the award.
#1 Thierry Henry - Arsenal FC
Thierry Henry was one of the greatest strikers to play the game. He had an air of arrogance about him, but not once did he fail to deliver on his targets. Henry was signed by Arsenal's legendary French manager Arsene Wenger for £11 million from Juventus in 1999.
Henry went on to score 228 goals and provide a staggering 106 assists in 376 games for The Gunners. During his time in London, Henry won two Premier League titles and two FA Cups with Arsenal. He notably helped them go an entire league season unbeaten in their historic 2003-04 Premier League triumph.
The Frenchman also bagged four Premier League Golden Boot awards. He was named the Premier League Player of the Season twice, and was named in the PFA Team of the Year six consecutive times in the early 2000s.
Henry is also the all-time top scorer for the French national team, scoring 51 goals in 123 appearances. He won the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Euro 2000 titles with France.
In 2002-03 though, the world of football witnessed something bewildering. Pavel Nedved was awarded the Ballon d'Or award ahead of Thierry Henry. The latter had put up mind-boggling numbers that season, scoring 32 goals and providing an astronomical 28 assists for teammates. To put that into perspective, he had 29 more goal contributions than his Czech counterpart.
To say it was the biggest robbery in world football history would be an understatement. However, despite the snub, Henry continued to dazzle on the pitch for several years. He finished a surprising third in the 2006 Ballon d'Or race, finishing behind defender Fabio Cannavaro and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.
Henry, though, achieved something the year after his big snub in the Ballon d'Or in 2003. Going an entire league season unbeaten is something that many players past and present can only dream of.
