Match of the Day has celebrated it's 60th anniversary this week and as part of the celebrations, I've doing my top 10's of the topics that Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards have discussed on their podcast Match of the Day top 10.
Today's top 10 is European Imports.
CONTENDERS:
Dennis Bergkamp - Arsenal
Eric Cantona - Leeds, Man United
Eden Hazard - Chelsea
Thierry Henry - Arsenal
N'Golo Kante - Leicester, Chelsea
Roy Keane - Nottingham Forest, Man United
Vincent Kompany - Man City
Cristiano Ronaldo - Man United
David Silva - Man City
Patrick Vieira - Arsenal, Man City
LINEKER, SHEARER AND RICHARDS' TOP 10
Thierry Henry
Roy Keane
Eric Cantona
Patrick Vieira
David Silva
Dennis Bergkamp
Vincent Kompany
Cristiano Ronaldo
Eden Hazard
N'Golo Kante
MY TOP 10
Thierry Henry
Roy Keane
David Silva
Patrick Vieira
Eric Cantona
Dennis Bergkamp
Vincent Kompany
Eden Hazard
Cristiano Ronaldo
N'Golo Kante
THE VERDICT:
When it comes to players arriving from Europe, I don't think there has been one better than Thierry Henry. He had everything as a forward in that he could both score and create goals. He could score any kind of goal during his time at Arsenal and the numbers he hit over the years were just sensational. He still holds the record for the most golden boots with 4.
Roy Keane arrived before the Premier League existed and the player he was during the Premier League era was probably enough for him to be on this list. As well as being a great leaders, he was tough, tenacious and determined. He always to wanted to win and his mentality and personality played a key role in the success he achieved at Man United.
David Silva took City onto another level when he arrived from Valencia as he turned City from being top four chasers to a team on the cusp of challenging for the title. He was an absolute magician as a player because of how creative he was and the ability he had to glide past players.
Eric Cantona made such an impact when he arrived and I can to some extent, understand why Shearer and Richards had him very high on their lists. He had all the ability in the world on his day, but he did have moments where he could go over the top and lose his head. That is why I probably have him lower than Lineker, Shearer and Richards.
Having Cristiano Ronaldo as low as he is will be surprising to some people because of the player he is. But a lot of his good work came after he left the Premier League. He had three top seasons during his first spell at United which saw him grow as a player before he became the world star we know him as today. The players above him did more in the Premier League era.
Dennis Bergkamp was sensational for many years at Arsenal and I wish I was growing up when he was in his prime. He was an all-round forward in that he could both create and score goals and some of the goals he could score were fantastic. His partnership with Thierry Henry is still among the greatest strike partnerships in Premier League history.
Eden Hazard was a joy to watch whenever you saw him play due to his pace and dribbling ability which made it difficult for any player to dispossess him. The kind of goals he could score were simply incredible and I could name a few that are right up there among the greatest goals in Premier League history. On his day, he was as good as anyone.
No one had even heard of N'Golo Kante when he first arrived in this country and he immediately made himself known in that title winning season with Leicester. His endless energy and ability to win the ball back countless times were second to none and he took that with him to Chelsea, where he became arguably the best defensive midfielder in the world. I wish I could put him higher up the list, but I think the others had more of an impact than he did.
OTHER POTENTIAL CONTENDERS: Kevin De Bruyne, Xabi Alonso, Bruno Fernandes, Robin Van Persie
Kevin De Bruyne is very unlucky not to be on this list. If he was he'd probably be near the top because of the player he has become over the years. He was a quality player when he joined City from Wolfsburg after not getting much of a chance at Chelsea. Since then he's become one of if not the best midfielder in the world. His creativity and ability to dictate games in midfield have played a key role in Man City's success over the last few years.
Alonso was also unlucky not to make the cut as he was one of Liverpool's most important players during his time there. But he didn't always get the credit he deserved. His ability to pull the strings in midfield was key to how the reds played under Rafa Benitez and him doing that gave Steven Gerrard the freedom to do what he does best. The reds really missed him after he left as they never had anyone like him.
Fernandes could divide opinion among fans due to his play-acting and constant whining at referees. But the impact he's made at Man United since he's been there has been incredible. United were lacking creativity before he arrived and he has given them that ever since. He's made such a difference for them since he's been there and without him they're not the same.
Robin Van Persie was very unlucky not to be included as he was a lethal predator in the box on his day. He might've hit his prime later into this Arsenal career, but he did score a lot of goals before that as he grew into a very important player for Arsenal. He went on to become one of if not the best striker in the world before joining United where his goals played a big role in them winning the title in Fergie's final season.
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