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The Premier League is the most exciting and entertaining top-flight competition in Europe for various reasons. The current crop of players in the English top division is among the most talented in the world.
The Premier League has featured some of the greatest midfielders of all time
The Premier League has been home to some of the greatest technicians to have ever pulled on a pair of cleats. Over the course of the past three decades, we have seen some of the greatest players in the history of the game leave an indelible mark on the English top-flight.
Without further ado, let's take a look at seven of the greatest Premier League midfielders of all time.
#7 Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira was the captain of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' team that went the entire 2003-04 Premier League season without tasting defeat. He is one of the greatest defensive midfielders of the Premier League era and had the mentality to match his elite footballing abilities.
Vieira was an absolute powerhouse at the base of midfield. With his tall and lanky frame, he could weave his way past opponents and cover an incredible amount of ground with a few giant strides. His battles with the likes of Roy Keane, Claude Makelele and Steven Gerrard are all the stuff of legends.
Vieira won three Premier League titles under Arsene Wenger before leaving the Gunners in 2005 after nine years of service. He has scored 31 goals and provided 34 assists in 307 Premier League appearances.
#6 David Silva
David Silva is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Nicknamed 'The Magician', he was almost unrivaled in terms of sheer creativity. His ability to hold onto the ball and navigate cul-de-sacs with ease made him as elusive a presence as any on a football pitch.
Silva played the role of the number eight to perfection at Manchester City. He stood out not only for his vision and passing range but also for his eye for goal. The former Spain international won four Premier League titles with Manchester City before leaving the club as a legend in 2020.
Silva has scored 60 goals and provided 93 assists in 309 Premier League appearances. City have erected a statue of Silva outside the Etihad to honor his contributions to the club.
#5 Roy Keane
Roy Keane was the spine of the juggernaut of a Manchester United side that Sir Alex Ferguson built around a bunch of academy graduates in the late 1990s. Keane was as fiery and warrior-like as they come and inspired the Red Devils to glory on many occasions.
He was extremely competitive and was a hard-tackling and tenacious midfielder who would rather be buried under the pitch than cede ground to an opponent. Keane was also excellent at dictating the tempo of the game from deep and could also embark on some driving runs through the center of the pitch.
The Irishman could also unleash a powerful shot. He won seven Premier League titles with Manchester United. Keane scored 39 goals and provided 33 assists in 366 Premier League appearances for Manchester United.
#4 Kevin De Bruyne
Two-time 'PFA Player of the Year' award winner Kevin De Bruyne is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. The Belgium international has astounded everyone with his incredible passing range and ability to find the back of the net on a consistent basis.
De Bruyne is easily the best attacking midfielder in the Premier League right now and is one of the greatest passers to have graced the English top-flight. His form has been crucial to Manchester City's title charge this season.
De Bruyne has made 209 Premier League appearances to date, scoring 57 goals and providing 85 assists. He has won three Premier League titles so far.sI
#3 Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard is the only player on this list who hasn't won a Premier League title. That in itself speaks volumes about his ability. Gerrard is an iconic figure at Liverpool and arguably the most complete midfielder of the Premier League era.
He could play anywhere across midfield and was as defensively astute as he was creative in attack. One can only imagine just how good Gerrard would have become had he played alongside players who could match his ability.
Not only was Gerrard excellent at running with the ball, making tackles and playing defence-splitting passes but he was also a wonderful goalscorer. He has scored plenty of absolute scorchers in his career and is one of the greatest midfielders of all time.
In 502 Premier League appearances, Gerrard has scored 120 goals and provided 92 assists.
#2 Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard has played for West Ham United, Chelsea and Manchester City in the Premier League. But he spent his best years at Chelsea and is widely regarded as their greatest player of all time.
He is one of the best goalscoring midfielders of all time and has scored a whopping 177 goals and provided 102 assists in 609 Premier League appearances.
Lampard won three Premier League titles and his longevity was just as impressive as his overall ability. He also won the 'PFA Player of the Year' award in the 2004-05 season.
Lampard, like Gerrard, could score some peaches from range. His set-piece ability was exemplary and his passing was top drawer as well.
#1 Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes was the beating heart of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United for almost two decades. Scholes could do it all and is the most complete footballer that Manchester United have had on their payroll in the Premier League era.
He could dictate play from deep with his incredibly precise passing. Scholes is one of the greatest passers in the history of the game. His ball-retention abilities coupled with his ability to produce incredible strikes made him an attacking threat as well.
Scholes was an incredible playmaker who could play defense-splitting passes at will. He was tactically intelligent and his positional awareness was simply world-class. Scholes won a whopping 11 Premier League titles with Manchester United.
He has scored 107 goals and provided 55 assists in 499 Premier League appearances for Manchester United.
