Ranking five most underrated wingers of the 21st century

#3 Freddie Ljungberg

Freddie Ljungberg had his most successful spell at Arsenal

Wingers were not a major part of Arsene Wenger's sides, who built a team with world-class midfielders and a highly capable striker. Nonetheless, Freddie Ljungberg carved out a place for himself in his squad, becoming one of the Gunners' key players during his nine seasons at the club.

The player began his career with Halmstad but spent his peak years in the Premier League with Arsenal. He hit double-digits in goals in two campaigns, winning the Premier League Player of the Season award for his 12 goals in the 2001-02 campaign.

The winger left the Premier League club in 2007 and for the next seven years appeared for six different clubs.

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#2 Nani

Nani has returned to European football with Venezia

Manchester United's signings from Portuguese club Sporting have paid off in the 21st century. Cristiano Ronaldo left the club as probably the best player in the world while Bruno Fernandes became the most important player in the squad.

One player who went under the radar was Nani. The winger rose to prominence after Ronaldo's departure but never really grew out of his compatriot's shadow. His 10 goals and 20 assists across all competitions in the 2010-11 campaign earned him his first nomination on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Apart from more goals and assists than Ronaldo in his first 100 Premier League games, he also picked up more assists than Rooney in his first 100 games for the club.

He has returned to Europe after a brief spell in MLS but it is clear that he is way past his glory days.

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#1 Pedro

FC Porto v SS Lazio: Knockout Round Play-Offs Leg One - UEFA Europa League

Pedro is one of the most highly-decorated wingers of all time. He has won everything at club level with Barcelona between 2008 and 2015. He was also part of the Spain team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup and 2012 EURO. He then moved to Chelsea in 2015.

The former Barcelona star's two-footed ability and pace made him one of the most dangerous players on the counter-attack, with most of his goals for Chelsea coming in that fashion.

He has always been surrounded by relatively gifted footballers at club and country level, which is why he hasn't received the recognition he deserves. The winger now plays for Lazio in Serie A and will be hoping to secure his first piece of silverware since the 2018-19 campaign.