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Everybody knows the stars of the Premier League: Ronaldo, Gerrard, Terry, Lampard, Fabregas...The list just drips with class. But behind every star player is a player who puts the team first, every time...

The Most Underrated Players in the Premiership

by Willie Gannon (Senior Writer)

26

1225 reads

Rankings/List

October 25, 2008


Everybody knows the stars of the Premier League: Ronaldo, Gerrard, Terry, Lampard, Fabregas...The list just drips with class. But behind every star player is a player who puts the team first, every time. A player who is priceless to the manager and does just enough to avoid media praise and just enough to be one of the first names on the team sheet every time.

But who are these masked men? Who are the true heroes of our Premiership age? Let's take a look at some of the current crop.

 

Arsenal

It's hard to find such a player at Arsenal. Wenger has brought a superb squad of players together. All are technically gifted and are usually superb footballers. But the player I'd choose as Arsenal's most underrated is Gael Clichy.

The French international has cemented himself as probably the best left back in the league over the last few seasons. And it showed how much faith Wenger had in the youngster when he let Ashley Cole move to Chelsea.

Clichy is superb going forward and is an excellent defender. He is always one of the first names on the team sheet and is a great team player, doing the stuff his contemporaries—van Persie, Adebayor, and Fabregas—often feel is beneath them

 

Aston Villa

Martin Laursen is one of the best centre halves in the Premiership. And since he signed for Villa in 2004, he has been the model of consistency. He was made Captain this summer by Martin O'Neill after Gareth Barry's protracted on/off move to Liverpool.

He is blessed with organisational skills and has been instrumental in Villa's rise under O'Neill. A superb marker and leader on the pitch, Laursen is invaluable to Villa and is often overshadowed in the news by players such as Barry and Agbonlahor. He's a rock at the heart of Villa.

 

Blackburn Rovers

Since Tugay signed for Blackburn from Rangers in 2001, he has been synonymous with all that has been good at the club. In recent seasons, as age has caught up on the Turkish international, his influence on the pitch has seen a reduction, as his body starts to feel its age. A supreme passer of the ball and a throwback to days of old when a midfielder was expected to tackle, pass, and be able to score.

And although Tugay's forays onto the pitch have been limited of late, he is still an important member of the setup at Ewood. Off the field, he is the elder statesman of the club, the place to go to for advice. On the field, he is an example to all. He is in superb condition for a player of his age and is willing to play anywhere for the team.

 

Bolton Wanderers

Kevin Davies is the dirtiest player in the league. It's official. He has given away more fouls than anyone else in the league. And this is just a sample of Davies never-say-die approach to the game.

A big, hulking centre-forward who fights to the last, Davies is the first name on Gary Megson's team sheet every week. But to describe Davies as a battering ram is to do him a disservice. In an age where we celebrate players like Ronaldo, Davies is a throw back to the '70s and '80s, where effort often overcame skill.

Since making Bolton his home in 2003, Davies has played 180 times and scored 40 goals. Not a great return, but he is invaluable to the Bolton team effort.

 

Chelsea

Chelsea have an incredible squad—one of the best in world football. They have superb players in every position and boast the biggest collection of top-class players in any team. Finding an underrated player in the Chelsea squad is hard, but not as hard as you think.

Jon Obi Mikel is that player. Since signing from Norwegian side Lyn in 2006, the 21-year-old has always been part of Chelsea's plan of world domination. Chelsea signed him from under United's noses, as they searched for Roy Keane's heir. And they came close to signing him, too.

Obi Mikel eventually chose Chelsea and over the last three seasons has shown an incredible level of maturity, as he waited his chance to become a Chelsea regular. Now, at the tender age of 21, the world looks like his oyster.

Blessed with speed, strength, stamina, superb technical ability, a fantastic range of passing, and a maturity beyond his years, Mikel looks like he could be one of the best midfielders ever to play in England.

Unlike most modern midfielders, Obi Mikel has the ability to dictate the ebb and flow of matches from central midfield and is one of the most underrated players in Britain, if not the Chelsea team. Most Chelsea players actually rate him as the best player at the club, and with recommendations like that, he can't be that bad.

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26 comments Last one added 8 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. sanjeev parata 8 months ago

    Good article, I didn't know half of these guys before I read this. Keep up the good work.

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  2. john montgomory 8 months ago

    John Obi Mikel, Gary Neville, Geremi? Come on, surely not.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Obi Mikel and Neville are brilliant players. And Geremi has been Newcastles best outfield player over the last two seasons.

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  3. Brandon Evans 8 months ago

    Obi Milkkel is rubbish, the rest of the list is pretty much spot on

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Can't say I agree with you about Mikel Brandon. I think he is a great player with a brilliant future ahead of him.

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    • T G 8 months ago

      Obi Mikel is rubbish??? that is like saying - what the hell does makelele do??? mikel is a class act and will develop even further into one of the best midfielders in the world.

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  4. Zahi Sahli 8 months ago

    Gary Neville is underrated? Havent you ever listened to English commentators blabber about this old, and ever-so useless right back being the best in the world?

    He has to be rated low. Simply because he's a has been now. Even in his peak, I thought he was overrated.

    And John Obi Mikel is underrated? Do you know that Chelsea bought him for 30m? If he's underrated as you say, what, should he be worth a 100m?

    The two players whom I agree with you totally about are tuncay and martin laursen. But Jaglieka, Huddlestone and Geremi are all given what they deserve.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Neville is under-rated. You can't take anything English commentators say seriously. And with people reckoning this ever so useless right back is a has been it just shows how under rated he is.

      What Chelsea paid for Mikel has no relevance, the simple fact of it is that he signed under a great fan fare 2 years ago and is only beginning to really feature now. Most people think he's useless because he's not a guaranteed starter, but Obi Mikel is a phenomenal talent, and could be a great.

      Jagielka is a really solid player, never gets less than 6 or 7 out of 10 and is one of the most consistent performers in the league.
      Huddlestone hasn't featured for Spurs this season and that just shows how under rated he was by Ramos, who do you feel is the most under rated player at Spurs? It's not easy to find someone.
      And Geremi has been Newcastle's best performer over the last two seasons. Not easy to perform well in a poor side but he's done it with aplomb.

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  5. Zahi Sahli 8 months ago

    I still dont agree. But its still a decent article.

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  6. Craig Emmerson 8 months ago

    As a season ticket holder at Newcastle and with my seat near the touch line where Geremi ambles up and down I must point out he has been useless ever since he signed.

    He cannot run, pass or control a football - all essential if you are to be considered as an unsung hero. Jose stopped playing him at Chelsea unless it was the 3rd round of the Carling Cup and was only too happy to accept an approach from Newcastle to take him off his hands. In a season and a half I am yet to see a corner make it past the front post.

    You should take a look at Habib Beye, superb right back that does not get the headlines he deserves.

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  7. Yoosof Farah 8 months ago

    good article willie, i pretty much agree with your list there.

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  8. J.C. Ayvazi 8 months ago

    Nice work here Willie, thanks for the excellent read.

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  9. Shyam Parthasarathi 8 months ago

    I agree with most of the stuff here.. barring Neville! Neville is not in any way or form, underrated..

    I'd go with Carrick in Man Utd.. he's underrated and is a class act.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Gotta say I disagree with you Shyam. On Neville and Carrick.
      Carrick was well over rated at Spurs, and even more so now.

      Neville to me is the best right full ever to play in the Premier League and doesn't get the credit he deserves.

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  10. Daniel Damico 8 months ago

    Great article. I think I agree with everyone this list. It is always good about the guys who don't the light shined on them unless they do something negative. good stuff.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      A lot of these guys never get any credit, and without them their teams don't function as well as they might. With players from the top 4 being exceptions as their squads are so good.

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  11. T G 8 months ago

    Great shout on every club - apart from Huddlestone - sorry but that guy is, I beleive, OVER rated..... dont think he does enough or penetrates enough.

    great article nonetheless

    I think you could add:

    fletcher, dean marney and arbeloa.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Thanks T,

      But Huddlestone played his first game for Spurs and they recorded their first win, no small coincidence.

      Marney yes, Fletcher maybe but I've got to say no on Arbeloa. I just don't rate him, but then again...that's being under-rated.

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  12. Alex Jones 8 months ago

    Three or four good picks but I disagree with the rest. Clichy!!, he was nominated for the FifPro World XI, he's a brilliant player and this is a Spurs fan talking here so you can understand how much it pains me to say that.

    Neville isn't underrated he's just crap, back in his day he was one of the best, but his injuries have taken a toll on him and now he can't even compete with Wes Brown.

    The list goes on, I mean Richard Dunne?! He puts his heart and sole into the game but that isn't overlooked and caused him to be underated, he's praised week in week out for defending which would make Carlos Alberto proud.

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    • Willie Gannon 8 months ago

      Ask any Arsenal fan to name their best players and Clichy won't even figure. The fact that he made it into the FifPro Team is a red herring as he is a player a lot don't rank. The fact he even made it into that team enforces the first point.

      As a fellow Spurs fan I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Neville was class. Age and injuries have caught up on him.

      Dunne is a great player and gets praise, this is true. But his value to his team is often underestimated.

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