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In the haze of sweaty terraces and floodlight beams, amid the din of the crowd and the whiff of the overpriced pie, the Premier League has been blessed with midfield maestros who’ve become some of English football’s most legendary figures.
From metronomic passers and bone-bruising tacklers to dazzling ball carriers and goal-scoring match-winners, the Premier League has been home to dozens of world-class midfielders since its inception in 1992.
In homage to those lynchpins, we’ve assembled our own list of the 10 best Premier League midfielders of all time.
10. Cesc Fàbregas (Arsenal and Chelsea)
A diminutive technician in Arsenal red, Cesc Fábregas was the conductor supreme during a period when the Gunners played football with the synergy of an orchestra under influential French coach, Arsene Wenger.
Sitting third on the all-time Premier League assists chart, Fábregas was a master of the perfectly weighted through ball. The Spaniard played nearly 400 Premier League games combined for Arsenal and Chelsea, winning two titles for Blues in 2014/15 and 2016/17 along the way.
9. N’Golo Kanté (Leicester City and Chelsea)
N’Golo Kanté was a key component in the famous Leicester City side that defied the odds on Premier League online betting sites to clinch the club’s first-ever title in 2015/16, forever enshrining himself in the annals of Foxes’ legends.
The Frenchman, who tackled with the precision of a neurosurgeon and hunted down opponents with the relentlessness of a disgruntled tax collector, was a human vacuum cleaner in midfield and Kanté went on to win another Premier League title during his six-year stay
8. Claude Makélélé (Chelsea)
A player who helped to define the modern role of screening midfielder, Claude Makélélé was a trailblazer in his own destructive way when he patrolled central areas like a sentinel for Chelsea between 2003 and 2008. A two-time Premier League title winner with the Londoners, Makélélé wasn’t one for flicks or tricks – he was simply a ball-winning machine without peer.
7. Yaya Touré (Manchester City)
Six-foot-two of unstoppable Ivory Coast muscle with the delicate finesse of Chanel No. 5, Yaya Touré wasn’t just a midfielder — he was a complete footballer and a cargo train of a performer who could drag teams to victory on his own.
Touré won three Premier League crowns with Man City between 2011 and 2018, netting 62 times in 230 appearances in the division during his era in the north west. He was both the hammer and the paintbrush, capable of exerting force and producing moments of artistry.
6. Patrick Vieira (Arsenal and Manchester City)
An iconic colossus of Arsenal’s old North London home at Highbury, Patrick Vieira was imbued with equal parts silk and steel. He was the dominant force during a successful period in the mid-90s for the Gunners, moving like a diesel-powered ballerina with legs like hydraulic pistons and a complete mastery of technique.
Vieira’s extensive haul of major trophies with Arsenal included three Premier League titles and the Frenchman spent nine full seasons with the club before joining Juventus in 2005. Vieira returned to England for a short spell with Man City in 2009.
5. Roy Keane (Nottingham Forest, Manchester United)
A seven-time Premier League champion, Roy Keane was the heartbeat of Sir Alex Ferguson’s all-conquering Manchester United sides between 1993 and 2005.
The proud Cork native ploughed through matches with demonic fury and though his combative skillset generated the headlines, Keane was also an accomplished passer who could set tempos and part defensive lines. He was unbreakable and unbeatable in his pomp, finishing his career with dozens of trophies and a thousand vanquished enemies.
4. Frank Lampard (West Ham, Chelsea, Manchester City)
Frank Lampard was a goal-scoring machine in a midfielder’s clothing. His expertly timed late arrivals in the box were so clinical that Lampard delivered double-figure goal outputs in ten separate Premier League campaigns for Chelsea.
Indeed, the Blues, not West Ham or Man City, definitely saw the best of Lampard, who scored most of his 177 Premier League goals while clad in London blue. Lampard, whose ability to threaten the opposition goal from deep positions was unmatched, lifted three titles with Chelsea before leaving in 2014.
3. Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)
A dyed in the wool Scouser and bona fide Liverpool icon, Steven Gerrard could drag his team out of a slump with one thunderous strike or searing slide tackle. In a period where the Reds were walking through storms, their kipper and local hero routinely steered them through.
He never quite dragged his teammates to a league title, though his place in the pantheon of Liverpool and Premier League greats was nonetheless secured. Gerrard, who scored 120 Premier League goals in 504 appearances, had an ability to inject life into dead contests with one swing of his right foot. You didn’t watch him play football – you felt it.
2. Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
Visionary passes, a built-in tactical GPS system and a sixth sense-like appreciation for timing and finding space – Paul Scholes was one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. Just ask some of his contemporaries like Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho and Thierry Henry – whenever Scholes is mentioned, praise in his direction is gushing.
Unassuming and introverted, Scholes was a consistent provider of jaw-dropping goals from distance and killer passes. He won 11 Premier League titles and scored 107 goals in the division for his beloved United while playing alongside his mates from the Class of 92.
1. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
And finally, there’s Kevin De Bruyne — the Belgium phantom with precision laser-guided boots and the stamina of a hero relentlessly chasing down his destiny.
De Bruyne won six titles, hit 72 goals and claimed 119 assists in the Premier League during a period with Man City that spanned just under a decade. He was a talisman and the protagonist who rarely failed to deliver on the biggest stages and most pivotal occasions.
At his peak, De Bruyne was an unstoppable force of nature that absolutely no opponent or team could handle. He was star quality personified and arguably the most influential match-winner that the Premier League has ever seen.
