Steven Gerrard and the 20 Best Players Never to Win the Premier League
Steven Gerrard will in all likelihood end his time in Premier League this summer, and unless Liverpool can perform a miraculous turnaround, the Reds veteran departs for the LA Galaxy having never won a Premier League title.
A testament to a dying breed of one-club men, many feel Gerrard is deserving of a Premier League winners' medal following such servitude, but he's not the only great to miss out on such honours.
Examining players who have played a minimum of three seasons in the Premier League, starting from the 1992-93 campaign, we've assembled a selection of the 20 best players to have missed out on the title.
Some included in the ranking still compete in the English top flight and have a chance to add the trophy to their cabinet while others are long departed, but each name holds their own as an individual star.
Honourable Mentions
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Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit's name was well-established before he brought an end to his career at Stamford Bridge, playing for Chelsea for three seasons before hanging up his boots as player-manager in 1998.
He won the Serie A title on three occasions with Milan, claimed three Eredivisie crowns in his native Holland, won the European Championship in 1988 and the 1996-97 FA Cup, but Chelsea rose long after his exit.
Marcel Desailly
Another ex-Chelsea star who may be upset not to have arrived at the club a few years later, Marcel Desailly left the west Londoners in 2004, just before their Roman Abramovich riches really took a swing at England's giants.
Joining Chelsea six years earlier, the former Milan and Marseille anchor won major honours in Italy, France, as well as the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, but the only domestic honour claimed in England was the 1999-2000 FA Cup.
20. Brad Friedel
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Although his involvement in the Tottenham Hotspur first team is close to non-existent, Brad "Evergreen" Friedel remains a tried-and-tested Premier League veteran of the most seasoned variety.
Granted, not many of the former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Aston Villa goalkeeper's campaigns—if any—have seen him go in for league title contention, but it doesn't diminish his reputation as a top-class stopper.
The 43-year-old is now in his 14th consecutive season among the top flight, having dropped down to the second tier with Rovers briefly following his move from Liverpool in 2000.
A former United States international, Friedel boasts a grand total of 448 Premier League appearances, per Transfermarkt, but with his contract expiring this summer, retirement may beckon in 2015.
19. Ledley King
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One can speculate all day about just how much or how little Ledley King would have achieved were it not for a recurring, crippling knee injury that blighted his career at every turn.
The former Spurs centre-back still managed 268 Premier League appearances at White Hart Lane and was a veritable leader of the team when fit—"when fit" being the critical clause in this instance.
The sky was the limit for a player who could have changed both his own and Tottenham's expectations had he only been able to maintain fitness for years at a time, only twice managing 30 league appearances or more in a single season.
Tottenham showed great loyalty to a troubled player in keeping King around for the 14 years they did, but none will be more bitter than the defender himself regarding what may have been—a Premier League winners' medal just one of those.
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18. Robbie Keane
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One of two ex-Republic of Ireland internationals to make our list, Robbie Keane never quite managed to muster a run at Premier League silverware, but it wasn't for lack of trying.
During his spells with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leeds United, Coventry City and a total of nine seasons with Tottenham, the striker constantly marked himself out as one of the Premier League's most clinical attackers.
A joy to watch when at his best, Keane led Spurs and the Republic of Ireland for years as an irrepressible talent on the individual spectrum, but even a dream move to Liverpool in 2008 couldn't grant him the Premier League wish he desired.
17. Les Ferdinand
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Sitting eighth in the Premier League's list of all-time top scorers with 149 goals, one can understandably be surprised that Les Ferdinand never claimed the division trophy in 12-and-a-half seasons of top-flight football.
All but one of those above him in the top scorer list—whom we'll discuss later—have Premier League trophies in their cabinet, but Ferdinand perhaps fell victim to poor timing.
The former Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham star moved to Newcastle United in 1995, but Ferdinand would only feel the bitterness of two runners-up finishes in 1996 and 1997, going on to play for Spurs, West Ham, Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers but never managing to come so close again.
16. Jamie Carragher
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Like the aforementioned Gerrard, Jamie Carragher is a Liverpool gladiator of the highest order, having played his entire career at Anfield, also coming close to the Premier League title in his days as a player.
Following the club's success of the 1970s and 1980s, he was one of those unfortunate enough to star heavily in the club's domestic wavering over more recent decades, but the fans won't love him any less for it.
Carragher made more than 500 Premier League appearances as a red and won just about every title in club football, including the Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup.
However, that "just about" is particularly poignant in noting the absence of a Premier League title, another sufferer of Liverpool's habit in falling short during his tenure.
15. Paolo Di Canio
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Love him or loathe him, the open-hearted Paolo Di Canio was nothing if not entertaining as a Premier League player (and manager), mostly known for his time at West Ham United.
And it was at Upton Park that the Italian managed to climb as high as fifth in the English top flight, although that 1999 achievement would be the highlight of his time in England, along with winning that year's Intertoto Cup.
Di Canio also represented Charlton Athletic and Sheffield Wednesday, having built a steady reputation in his native land with Lazio, Juventus and Milan.
14. Fernando Torres
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Fernando Torres might have figured higher in our rankings were it not for a miserable last few years in his career, which all started with his 2011 move from Liverpool to Chelsea.
That transfer marked the end of his peak Premier League form, having spent four seasons at Anfield and boasting a very enviable record of 65 goals in just 102 appearances.
After moving to Stamford Bridge, however, it all went a bit pear-shaped, and while his capitulation isn't enough to scrub the Torres of Atletico Madrid and Liverpool from memory, it certainly tarnishes his reputation.
13. Stuart Pearce
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"Psycho" made a name for himself in being among England's most intimidating player figures, a mentality and intimidation factor he still possesses as a coach today.
It was in making more than 400 appearances for Nottingham Forest that the full-back cut out a name for himself as a star defender, going on to play for England on 78 occasions, captaining the team nine times.
Left-back Pearce wasn't the most glamorous of stars, but his methods were effective enough to help Forest to third-place finishes in the league on three occasions, only one of which came during the Premier League era (1995).
Pearce also represented Manchester City, Newcastle United, West Ham and Coventry City.
12. David Ginola
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The 1995-96 Premier League campaign came so close to giving David Ginola his dream of an English league title, but that season's Newcastle United side were just beaten to the punch by Manchester United.
That was the same season in which the Red Devils were trailing the Magpies by 12 points at Christmas, making the Frenchman's trophy cabinet void all the more painful.
Ginola also went on to win the Professional Footballer Association's Players' Player of the Year award at Tottenham in 1999, but in terms of team achievements, the League Cup was his greatest English honour.
11. Robbie Fowler
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Spaced across two stints at the club, Robbie Fowler scored 128 goals in 266 appearances for Liverpool, but even in rising to become the Reds' fifth-highest goalscorer of all time, the Premier League crown was never attainable.
That tally of goals is also enough to put Fowler sixth in the division's all-time top-scorer rankings, making it even more incredible that he could never clinch the big one.
The former Three Lions striker also represented Leeds United, Manchester City and Blackburn Rovers in the first tier of English football, but all his major accolades were achieved as an Anfield player.
Fowler earned the nickname "God" in front of the Kop, but his individual greatness couldn't inspire a team performance necessary to claim Premier League title credentials.
10. Gary Mabbutt
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A toughened gladiator who starred during a bright spell of Tottenham's history, Gary Mabbutt made 477 league appearances for the north Londoners, split across First Division and Premier League eras.
The Bristol native was a hero of hometown club Rovers long before making the switch to White Hart Lane in 1982, where he would go on to play 16 years of his career, 11 of which were as club captain.
In the First Division, the centre-back-cum-defensive midfielder soared as high as third on three occasions, but his best finish in the Premier League was seventh, the team not as much of a domestic threat during the 1990s.
9. Matt Le Tissier
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Another fine example of the "what might have been" trend in individual stars who could never win the Premier League, Matt Le Tissier may have claimed so much more silverware were it not for his loyalty to Southampton.
The Guernsey-born playmaker was one of England's most entertaining players for well over a decade and frequently finished campaigns with goal tallies of a dozen or more, but it never led to the treasure at the end of the rainbow.
"Le God" is one of those who people debate as an untapped potential, and he may have won more than just eight England caps and a PFA Player of the Year award in 1995 had he opted for a move elsewhere.
8. Xabi Alonso
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Five seasons at Liverpool were enough to paint Xabi Alonso as one of the best playmakers in the Premier League and a surprisingly underrated talent among some.
The closest he ever came to touching the Premier League title came in the 2008-09 season when that year's Reds finished just four points off champions Manchester United.
In some ways, the Champions League triumph of 2005 will make up for the Premier League-shaped hole in Alonso's heart.
However, if one were to think Alonso was downbeat having never claimed a league title in England, one can only imagine how Liverpool servant Gerrard must feel leaving without the accolade to his name.
7. Chris Waddle
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Chris Waddle is something of an anomaly in this list, given that he played five Premier League seasons in total, but it was during his days with Tottenham in the old First Division that his brightest form emerged.
He twice finished third with Spurs in the top flight, but by the time the newly dubbed Premier League was in place, he was at Sheffield Wednesday and the chances for first place were slimmer at that stage.
At his peak, Waddle was regarded as one of England's best wingers and earned 62 caps for the national team, but he never found himself in a side that could make the push needed for first place.
6. Paul McGrath
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Paul McGrath never made a Premier League appearance for Manchester United, but it was at Old Trafford that the ex-Republic of Ireland international cut out a name as one of Europe's best centre-backs.
However, his profile didn't fit Sir Alex Ferguson's model and he moved to Villa Park in 1989, just prior to the Red Devils transforming their fortunes and going on to enjoy tremendous Premier League success.
It may be a regret of the defender's that he didn't end up remaining at Old Trafford, but McGrath also had other demons to contemplate, per the Daily Mail's Neil Moxley:
"I ran round the pitch trying to hold my breath on occasions. Mainly because the person I was up against would know that I’d had a drink and I didn’t want them to. I swear Alan Shearer must have smelled it on one particularly bad occasion. It wasn’t every week. It was only a handful of times. Well, maybe a couple of handfuls.
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The Irishman's battle with alcoholism and injuries only makes his unrealised potential all the more unbelievable and the fact that he still managed to thrive so spectacularly despite obvious obstacles.
The inaugural Premier League season saw McGrath's Aston Villa team take former club United close in the top-flight title race, but that was about as close as he got to taking the top prize.
5. Gianfranco Zola
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Another of the Chelsea alumni unfortunate enough to leave the club just prior to their noughties rise, Gianfranco Zola was a key component in the Blues squad which laid those foundations.
In seven years at Stamford Bridge (1996-2003), the twinkle-toed Italian entertained and amazed with some of the most nimble footwork English football has ever seen, but it never led to the grandest prize of all.
A two-time Chelsea Player of the Year, Zola did taste FA Cup success on two occasions and won the League Cup during his time in England, but even he couldn't haul in the fabled Premier League.
4. Cesc Fabregas
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Of all the players included in this list, current Chelsea talisman Cesc Fabregas stands out as the most likely candidate to go about correcting his lack of a Premier League title, possibly as soon as this May.
The Spaniard claimed runners-up finishes in both the Premier League and Champions League as an Arsenal player, but his career has taken on a far more gilded twist since leaving the Emirates Stadium.
Speaking to Matt Law of the Telegraph this week, Fabregas lifted the lid on his desire to win the English top flight under Jose Mourinho, saying:
"When Chelsea came, of course I studied in my mind how I could fit in, but I also wrote down the team. I always write the team down. I had spoken to the manager and I knew what he wanted from me, but after that I always try to analyse what kind of squad there is, if it’s good for my type of football because sometimes you can be as good as you want but you don’t fit in some certain styles. I felt it was a really good move for me after I wrote down the squad.
At Chelsea, for sure we can win many, many medals for the next years because we have a very talented young team. But it’s not about the talent now, it’s not about the team, it’s about how much we want it. If this team really wants it to the end and we are focused and determined to achieve big things, then I’m sure in the next few years Chelsea can be a top team.
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Fabregas has arguably shown the best form of his life since moving to Stamford Bridge, now in his prime and enjoying a more prominent role than ever in west London.
If Chelsea can guard their place atop the English pile, the man once seen as a potential successor to Patrick Vieira could claim Premier League silver in London but not with the team many once proposed he would.
3. Gareth Bale
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One might debate Gareth Bale's placement in this countdown, being heralded above such an esteemed bunch of Premier League servants despite only boasting six seasons of Premier League football.
However, even if understanding that experience is critical to being dubbed a great, there's no denying Gareth Bale's obvious talent, which may yet make its way back to England in the years to come.
Right now, the Welshman is enjoying his participation in one of the world's most talented teams at Real Madrid, but the day may come when he gets homesick and decides his Spanish expedition should come to an end.
In his last few seasons as a Tottenham player, the left-back-turned-winger rose to superstardom, ending the 2012-13 campaign with a career-high 21 goals and firing Spurs into Europe's elite competition.
However, even for his talent, the Premier League trophy never looked like a realistic target. Should the Independent's Jack De Menezes be right in stating a £120 million switch to Manchester United could materialise, he may yet satisfy his thirst for a Premier League crown.
2. Luis Suarez
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Luis Suarez is another controversial choice this high in our ranking, given that many hold allegiances with the stars of yesteryear over the ones of today, but the Uruguayan is a unique kind of scoring talisman.
Second place in the 2013-14 Premier League season was as good as it got for Suarez, where his 31 league goals were enough to earn him the Golden Boot but not enough to see off the threat of Manchester City.
In his three-and-a-half season at Anfield, Suarez showed his capacity to turn matches all on his own, leading to Barcelona's decision to invest £75 million in his services last summer.
At 28 years of age, it's not beyond logic that the controversial forward could yet come back to England and stage an assault on the trophy once again, but given the fee paid and length of his five-year contract, a comeback seems unlikely.
1. Paul Gascoigne
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It's well-founded that Paul Gascoigne's troubles off the pitch make for an unfortunate twist on an otherwise wonderful talent, but even his greatest controversies shouldn't mar what a terrific player the Gateshead native was.
No matter where he moved, Gascoigne was always considered a game-changer, the rare breed of player who could bring an entire team on leaps and bounds just by being a part of it.
He tried with Newcastle United, Tottenham, Middlesbrough and Everton to claim the Premier League's top spot but was unsuccessful in every pursuit.
The 57-times capped England international finished as League Cup runner-up with Boro in 1998 and led Spurs to the 1991 FA Cup, but as far as the league was concerned, "Gazza" could never quite pull it within grasp.
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