Dirty Dozen: The Premier League's Most Sent-off Players and Manager
England has developed something of a reputation for being one of the rougher kids in the football playground, with the Premier League featuring some of the toughest in the business.
However, tough doesn't necessarily always equate to legal, and there are those who have graced the division with a not-so-subtle approach over the past two decades.
Here, we've assembled a "dream" XI of those players with more red in their vision than any others in the 22-year history of the Premier League.
All card statistics come courtesy of Transfermarkt.
Goalkeeper: Jussi Jaaskelainen
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Premier League Red Cards: 4
Thirty-eight years of age and still going strong as a Premier League goalkeeper, it's hardly surprising that Jussi Jaaskelainen stands as the No. 1 issued with the most red cards in its history.
After all, even the most careful of 'keepers might draw in a handful of cautions after featuring in the same division for 17 years.
Unsurprisingly for a player in his position, all of Jaaskelainen's marching orders have come by way of a direct red, with no second bookable offences to mention.
The Finn's 2001-02 campaign was his most forgettable, where Bolton Wanderers had to see their stopper sent off twice in the same campaign. The other two reds came in the 2004-05 and 2010-11 seasons.
Right-Back: Danny Mills
2 of 12Premier League Red Cards: 3
As the above video displays, Danny Mills was far from the most savage right-back that the Premier League has ever produced, but his more playful side did land him in hot water against Arsenal during what was just the second game of the 2001-02 season.
Mills would be sent off once more five months down the line, but that one season accounted for half of the defender's entire red-card collection throughout his career.
Left-Back: Francis Benali
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Premier League Red Cards: 5
Before all the glitz and glamour of Southampton's current incumbents, there was a time when things were a lot grittier and Francis Benali was among those most loyal to the cause.
The full-back earned five red cards during a 16-year playing career with the Saints, four of which were straight reds, with the fifth coming during a 1996 meeting with West Ham in which Benali lasted 26 minutes as a second-half substitute before trotting off again.
Having received the final red of his Premier League career in 1998, Benali spent that remaining six years of his days in relative peace. Granted he only played a combined nine league fixtures in his last three seasons with the team, but it was an improvement nonetheless.
Centre-Back: Richard Dunne
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Premier League Red Cards: 8
The butt of many a Premier League joke, Richard Dunne has also proven himself to be something of a red-card technician, as well as being well-versed in the art of the own goal.
Of the three Premier League clubs that the Republic of Ireland international has played for, Aston Villa are the only side not to have seen their centre-back sent off, although Manchester City and Everton are well aware of his taste for an early bath.
Four of Dunne's eight total Premier League red cards came in the space of two seasons, with 2007-08 and 2008-09 terms producing two dismissals apiece.
It's hardly surprising the defender made just two more appearances for the Citizens after the latter campaign.
Centre-Back: Nemanja Vidic
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Premier League Red Cards: 6
There's no questioning the fact that, in his prime, Nemanja Vidic was one of the best centre-backs ever to have played in the Premier League. However, even he got things wrong from time to time.
Somewhat remarkably, the Serbian managed to earn himself at least one sending-off in three successive seasons with Manchester United, with the 2008-2009, 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons all producing at least one red card in his direction.
In his old age, the 32-year-old has shown that habits don't change, either, and it may not be such a terrible thing that the Inter-bound defender is moving to Italy this summer, having been sent off twice already this term.
Holding Midfield: Lee Cattermole
6 of 12Premier League Red Cards: 7
Although the Premier League community is fully aware of just what a threat Lee Cattermole can sometimes be to the bodies of his opponents, here is proof of just how rough the central midfielder can get.
In 199 Premier League outings, the Sunderland anchor has drawn in seven reds, equating to an average of one sending-off just under once every 30 games and quite easily one per season.
Still just 26 years of age, there's plenty of time for the former Wigan Athletic favourite to break some disciplinary records, but with the Black Cats in their current predicament, that top-flight status may not be long-lived.
Centre Midfield: Patrick Vieira
7 of 12Premier League Red Cards: 8
Along with one other central midfielder on this list, there are few names who stand out more poignantly than Patrick Vieira's when discussing matters such as which Premier League had the tendency for a dirty streak.
The Frenchman has the honour of being the most sent-off player in Premier League history when clocking up two bookable offences, with only two of his eight send-offs coming from a straight red, the other six being for two cautions.
Between 1999 and 2004, the Frenchman went five successive seasons at Arsenal where he drew at least one dismissal from each. Hardly up to his usual magnifique standards.
Centre Midfield: Roy Keane
8 of 12Premier League Red Cards: 7
And the other name that might spring to mind when mentioning disciplinary issues in the Premier League era is Roy Keane. He had an infamous relationship with Vieira, and what a clash of the titans it made for.
That being said, the duo was perfectly volatile when left to their own devices, and 12 years at Old Trafford gave Keane the means to make some of the most well-known challenges in English football.
Above, we see the negligible stamp on Middlesbrough's Gareth Southgate in October 1995, but other blatant red-card offences include the Irishman's career-ending challenge on Alf-Inge Haland as well as numerous head-to-heads with Vieira and other feuds.
Centre Forward: Duncan Ferguson
9 of 12Premier League Red Cards: 8
So violent was Duncan Ferguson on the pitch that his head-butt on Raith Rovers' John McStay in 1994 would eventually end with a three-month prison sentence.
The ex-Scotland international actually did well to go four consecutive seasons of his career without seeing red at some point that coincidentally coincided with his stay at Newcastle United.
However, when the blue of Everton came on, something came over the forward, who only saw four of his 11 seasons as a Toffee go unblemished and earn eight Premier League red cards altogether.
Supporting Striker: John Hartson
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Premier League Red Cards: 6
Tied with the aforementioned Keane for the second-highest amount of straight red cards ever to be issued to a Premier League player is John Hartson.
Something of a journeyman in his career, the Welshman shared his aggressive traits with Arsenal, West Ham, Wimbledon, Coventry City and West Brom in the English top flight.
Like so many others, however, old age saw Hartson lose some of his nastier, less disciplined tendencies. The last four seasons of his career spent with Celtic, Coventry, West Brom and Norwich City were a lot smoother to watch.
Supporting Striker: Andy Cole
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Premier League Red Cards: 6
He knew how to put the ball in the back of the net, but Andy Cole didn't come without his share of baggage, although this side of him didn't fully emerge until after his most prolific years at the top.
The former Newcastle United and Manchester United forward picked up the first straight red card of his professional career in January 2001, and from there it was as if the floodgates had been opened.
Between the 2001-02 and 2005-05 seasons, Cole would collect another three straight dismissals for Blackburn Rovers and Fulham, hanging up his boots with six dismissals to his name altogether.
Manager: Alan Pardew
12 of 12A lack of official management records makes it difficult to put exact figures on how many times a manager has been sent off, but Alan Pardew gets the nod considering he's our most in-form option.
As the video above attests, the Newcastle United boss was sent off earlier this year for no less than head-butting Hull City midfielder David Meyler, showing just how volatile the man can be.
This come a mere 18 months after Pardew was banned in the aftermath of a red card he received for shoving a linesman, per the Daily Mail.
Considering he's still just 52 years of age, Pardew still has a lot of time to increase those numbers, too, unless he was able to seek the counsel of some effective anger management.
