Ranking 5 most underrated Premier League players of 21st century

#3 Michael Carrick

Manchester United v Fulham - Michael Carrick

Michael Carrick made 481 appearances in the Premier League for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United. The English midfielder enjoyed his greatest success as a Manchester United player. He joined the club as a direct replacement for Roy Keane in 2006 and did not disappoint in his 12 years at Old Trafford.

He won the Premier League five times and the FA Cup once. He also won the League Cup three times and the Community Shield six times as a Manchester United player. Carrick contributed 24 goals and 32 assists in his time in the Premier League.

Carrick went on to captain Manchester United before his forced retirement in 2018 after a heart defect was detected. He also managed the club on an interim basis in 2021 after the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

#2 Pepe Reina

Spanish goalkeeper Pepe Reina first came to the Premier League in 2005 when he joined Liverpool from Villarreal. The young Spaniard immediately displaced Jerzy Dudek as the club's first-choice goalkeeper, relegating the veteran to the bench.

Reina won the Premier League Golden Glove in each of his first three seasons in the league. In his first season, he won it with 20 clean sheets, and in his second and third seasons, he won it with 19 and 18 clean sheets, respectively.

In the 2009-10 season, he kept the same number of clean sheets as Chelsea's Petr Cech (17). However, Cech won the Golden Glove for having played a lower number of matches.

At the time of leaving Liverpool in 2013, Reina had the record for most clean sheets by a Liverpool goalkeeper in history. The Spaniard kept 136 clean sheets in 297 appearances in the Premier League. His clean sheet percentage is one of the highest in the history of the competition, having kept a clean sheet in 45.79% of his appearances.

Reina returned to the league with Aston Villa for a short stint in 2020 before leaving for Italy once more. The Spaniard never won the Premier League, but is one of the most underrated goalkeepers in the history of the league.

#1 Gilberto Silva

Brazilian midfielder Gilberto Silva enjoyed a fruitful spell in the Premier League with Arsenal, his first club in Europe. The midfielder made a name for himself as an elite defensive midfielder under manager Arsene Wenger.

Gilberto joined the Gunners in 2002 and remained at the club until 2008, amassing 170 Premier League appearances and winning the title once. He was a key member of Arsenal's legendary Invincibles team of 2004. He made 32 league appearances and contributed four goals and four assists. The Brazilian also won the FA Cup as an Arsenal player.

Gilberto Silva was hard to replace at the Emirates after he left, with a number of players failing to reach his performance levels at the club. The midfielder was one of the best in the league during his time in England, where he helped the Gunners deliver quality performances.

About the author

Sulayman is a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda covering news and transfer rumors. He has an overall experience of 4 years, having previously worked at the likes of SportsRation and ExtraTimeTalk. His tryst with the sport happened at a young age, playing it at home and watching the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

Sulayman has a good feel for the game, which is reflected in his descriptive articles. He double checks information via multiple sources for accuracy, and only uses top-tier platforms like Transfermarkt and Opta for statistical information. His experience and exploits in the industry have led Sulayman to cover the Nigerian Professional League for three years along with games involving the Nigerian national team. He has also worked in F1, joining hands with industry veterans to provide a smooth viewing experience in Nigeria.

Sulayman hails Lionel Messi as the one true GOAT, and his brace in Argentina’s 2005 U20 FIFA World Cup final win over Nigeria left a lasting impact on him. He also supports Chelsea at club level, having followed their dominance under Jose Mourinho. Sulayman also follows other leagues with Nigerian players like Eredivisie, Saudi Pro League, Turkish Super Lig, and more. When not writing, he enjoys cooking and eating.

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Edited by Aditya Singh