Top Five Central Midfielders Of The Premier League Era

Following our list of the best defensive midfielders last week, where we mentioned the likes of Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira, we now move on to our top five central midfield players.

There were a host of names we could have considered for this list, and there were certainly some standouts which we couldn’t leave out.

Some honourable mentions to the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and Luka Modric who could have made it into our final selection, but there was only so many places up for grabs.

Press the next page as we go through our top five midfielders of the Premier League era.

5) Yaya Toure

Any City fan would know that the Ivorian international is well-deserving of a place on this list, with the player’s unique attributes making him one of the most dominant midfielders of his generation.

Toure’s physical stature meant he was an imposing figure for opponents, but he had the technical ability to match. 79 goals and 50 assists in just 316 appearances demonstrate a player who was integral, as City won three Premier League titles during his eight years in England.

4) Frank Lampard

The fact that the midfielder is Chelsea’s all-time leading scorer kind of sums up the player’s career. He was a superb finisher but that shouldn’t be the only thing he should be remembered for.

Lampard was also an excellent passer of the ball and his commanding presence in the middle of the pitch made him a key figure during a dominant era for Chelsea in the mid-2000s.

3) Steven Gerrard

Unlike the other five players on this list, the Liverpool talisman was not always surrounded by quality players, and the Reds’ struggles during the Premier League era meant he never won a league title, barring two close calls.

However, the combination of Gerrard’s leadership skills, passing and finishing ability means he dragged his club to victories. His uncanny knack to score vital goals made him an Anfield icon.

2) David Silva

In contrast to Gerrard, Silva managed to stand out even among a host of world-class talent. The Spanish magician has superb close control, the vision to pick out a pass as well as being able to score a goal or two.

After a decade of impeccable service, the 34-year-old will be leaving the Etihad in the summer, but he will be remembered as one of the greatest midfielders of the Premier League era, with four league trophies.

1) Paul Scholes

Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldinho, the Brazilian Ronaldo, Luis Figo and Xavi are just some of the names who have heralded the United legend, and they can’t all be wrong.

Scholes was originally an attacking midfielder, known for scoring goals by arriving late in the box, but as his career went on, he moved deeper, and his outstanding passing ability came to the fore. With no less than ELEVEN league titles, and 107 Premier League goals, he is more than worthy of being placed top of this list.

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