Hello!
Welcome back to another XI! Today we are back with the ‘one per club’ idea, but I have decided to spice it up a bit.
The other day I stumbled across the All Time Premier League table, and it peaked my interest, so I have comprised today’s XI based on that.
So what I have done is taken the top 11 Premier League teams (in terms of points won since the inaugural Premier League season) and selected one player from each club. This is an all time XI so some of these players have played for more than one of these clubs, but I have picked them for the club they were best at.
Let’s get into it!
GOALKEEPER- Petr Čech- Chelsea
Petr Čech is one of the best goalkeepers the Premier League has ever seen, and he has the record for the most Premier League clean sheets with 202, and he is my selection from Chelsea who are third in the All Time Premier League table.
Čech of course spent four years at Arsenal, but he was quite clearly past his best at the Emirates. He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one Europa League and a Champions League at Chelsea, and he is one of their best players from the Abramovic era.
Čech even still managed to be one of the world’s best goalkeepers despite nearly dying on the pitch in 2006 after being kicked in the head, so he is a true Premier League great.
LEFT BACK- Leighton Baines- Everton
Everton have been a Premier League club for every season since it started in 1992/93, and because of this they are sixth in the All Time XI. Their selection in this XI is at left back with Leighton Baines.
The English left back is 14th in Everton’s all time appearance list, with 411. He has been at Goodison Park since 2007 and has been a wonderful servant for the club.
In his prime he was one of the best left backs in the league, and he can still do a job for the Toffee’s now, so he makes this XI as a Premier League stalwart.
RIGHT BACK- Trent Alexander-Arnold- Liverpool
I am so bored of putting Alexander-Arnold in these XI’s, but when I was looking at where to get all the best players in, he had to be Liverpool’s entrant into this XI.
The Reds sit fourth in the All Time Premier League list, which is a pretty good achievement considering they have never actually won it! While Alexander-Arnold probably doesn’t make it into Liverpool’s top ten Premier League players of all time, he is arguably their best full back of the PL era.
Also Liverpool have basically won their first Premier League title already, and I just had to include a player from this current team as it is by far their best in the Premier League.
CENTRE BACK- Vincent Kompany- Man City
Vincent Kompany is the best player Manchester City have ever had in the Premier League, for a long time he was the best defender in the league, and he served the Citizens for 11 years.
Manchester City are seventh in the All Time Premier League, but they are the highest of the clubs that have not spent every Premier League season in the top flight (City have only spent five seasons out of the Premier League).
Kompany won twelve trophies at the Etihad, and made the PFA Team of the year on three occasions. He was often blighted by injury but this rarely stopped him from having a profound impact on Man City’s season, he is an all time great at the club.
CENTRE BACK- Rio Ferdinand- Man United
Rio Ferdinand is one of the best defenders in the Premier League era, and he won six titles with Manchester United which made him an excellent partner for Kompany.
Ferdinand made the PFA Team of the year on six occasions and also made the FIFPro World XI in 2008. He was at the forefront of Sir Alex Ferguson’s dominant Man United team and overall just one of the best defenders of his generation.
He made 81 appearances for England, and was one of the main components of their ‘golden generation’ of the 2000’s. Man United have had some excellent players but Ferdinand allows this XI to be as good as it possibly can be.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD- Tim Sherwood- Blackburn
Blackburn Rovers sneak into 11th place in the All Time Premier League table, and that meant that I had to select a player who won the league with them in 1994/95.
Tim Sherwood was the captain of that team, and he put in some excellent performances in the centre of midfield for Blackburn. The Englishman made 246 appearances in the Premier League for the Lancashire based side.
Blackburn Rovers’ former owner Jack Walker once said “Why do you want to sign Zidane when we have Tim Sherwood?”, so the former Spurs manager had to be in this XI for Blackburn’s entry.
CENTRAL MIDFIELD- Gareth Barry- Aston Villa
Aston Villa are ninth in the All Time Premier League table, and choosing their entrant for this XI was a pretty easy task. Gareth Barry is the Premier League’s all time record appearance maker, and he spent eleven years with Aston Villa.
He has actually played for three team’s in the top 11 of the All Time table, as he had spells with both Everton and Manchester City. His only Premier League title came at the Etihad, but his best form was arguably seen at Villa Park.
He was an integral member of Martin O’Neill’s Aston Villa side during the early 2000’s, he was a consistent Premier League defensive midfielder who never failed to stand up and be counted.
LEFT MIDFIELD- Dimitri Payet- West Ham
West Ham have had many excellent players during the Premier League era, but Dimitri Payet is arguably the best that has been seen by the West Ham faithful. The Hammers are 10th in the All Time Premier League table so they have to have a player included here!
Payet spent just 18 months with the Hammers, but during this time he did some absolutely magical things in Claret and Blue, and he made their last season at Upton Park a memorable one.
He won the ‘Hammer of the year’ in 2015/16 after scoring nine goals in 30 Premier League appearances. He didn’t leave on great terms, but he is definitely remembered as one of West Ham’s best players of the Premier League era.
RIGHT MIDFIELD- Gareth Bale- Tottenham
Gareth Bale spent six years at Tottenham, and he is one of their star performers of the Premier League era. While Harry Kane has had some exceptional seasons for the Lilywhites, Bale’s 2012/13 campaign was electrifying.
The Welshman scored 21 Premier League goals that season and picked up the PFA players player and young player of the year such was him dominance. He scored some stunning goals and earned himself a move to Real Madrid.
He has gone on to win four Champions League titles in Madrid and he has been recognised as one of the best players of his generation, this was all ignited at Spurs, who are fifth in the All Time Premier League.
STRIKER- Thierry Henry- Arsenal
Arsenal are second in the All Time Premier League Table and it was of course going to be Thierry Henry who made it into this XI as he is one of the best players to have ever played in the league.
Henry was unstoppable for long periods at Arsenal, and won the PFA players player of the year twice along with four Premier League golden boots. I may be slightly biased but he is the best player the league has seen.
He has two Premier League titles to his name, and two FA Cups, he leaves a lasting legacy on English football that will never be forgotten.
STRIKER- Alan Shearer- Newcastle
Newcastle sit eighth in the All Time Premier League table, and I couldn’t not include Shearer could I?
The Englishman is the record Premier League goal scorer, and with 260 to his name, this is not getting caught any time soon. He won his only Premier League title with Blackburn but it would feel wrong to include him for anyone but Newcastle.
Shearer is the most iconic Englishman to have played in the league, and as the Premier League’s top scorer, he must be in this XI!
That’s all for today, what changes would you have made considering the teams available to you?
See you tomorrow!
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