"On Saturday 15 August 1992, a multi-billion pound behemoth was born, as the inaugural season of the Premier League kicked off, changing the face of English football forever. Now, as well as the best players from the British Isles, English football would be able to attract some of the top talent from around the globe – from Jurgen Klinsmann and Dennis Bergkamp to Luis Suarez and Eric Cantona. In Legends of the Premier League we celebrate the very best entertainers, goal-getters and deadly destroyers from the past three decades of action. We kick off with a rundown of the top 100 players and some of the most iconic names of the Premier League era, while we also dive into the FFT archives to unearth in-depth features and exclusive interviews with the likes of Juninho, David Ginola and Paolo Di Canio and relive some of the glorious goals, superb skills and show-stopping saves we've been privileged to witness ever since that historic Saturday afternoon in the summer of 1992. Enjoy!"
FourFourTwo PRESENTS… LEGENDS OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE
FourFourTwo: Legends of the Premier League
100 GREATEST PREMIER LEAGUE PLAYERS EVER! • Football didn’t begin in 1992, but an era that would alter England’s game forever did. After three decades of thrills and spills, FourFourTwo ranks the ultimate icons who defined a generation
THE MISSING CLUBS • None of our top 100 represented these Premier League teams – if you don’t include Harry Kane’s three matches for Norwich – but each had a star
PREMIER LEAGUE 100 • Ian Murtagh, who has reported on Newcastle for a quarter of a century, remembers a brilliant, beloved figure whose tragic passing shocked the football world almost a decade ago
“COLLYMORE CLOSING IN!” • Martin Tyler has been the voice of Sky Sports since the inception of the Premier League – so FourFourTwo picked out some of the most extraordinary top-flight matches he’s commentated on, and asked him to share his memories of them
“PEOPLE SAID I WAS MORE FOCUSED ON MODELLING A N D L’OREAL – I WANTED TO PROVE THEM WRONG” • David Ginola arrived in England with journalists asking him who he was. After four campaigns of thrilling wing play, they were clambering over one another to vote him the league’s best player. Oh, he was worth it all right…
“10-0? YOU’RE DROPPED”
“NOTHING CAN TOP 1999 – BUT OUR ’94 SIDE WAS SUCH A JOY TO PLAY IN” • Seven-time Premier League champion Denis Irwin tells FourFourTwo about life as Fergie’s favourite, toppling Liverpool, and smashing Eric Cantona at chess
“WE THOUGHT, ‘WHY DO WE NEED THIS GUY – WE ALREADY HAVE JOHN SPENCER!’” • Long before Roman Abramovich’s billions and Jose Mourinho’s opinions, there was a tiny Sardinian who transformed the face of Chelsea forever. For seven seasons, Gianfranco Zola weaved his magic as English football watched in awe
BETTER THAn ZOLA? • Chelsea’s diminutive star was crowned FWA Player of the Year in 1997, but never got selected in a PFA Team of the Year – unlike this more unexpected quartet
“HE WASN’T JUST THE BEST I PLAYED WITH… HE WAS ALSO MY FAVOURITE” • The unknown teenager Brian Clough called ‘Irishman’ was something special, a fearless and unforgiving leader who epitomised a glorious era at the Theatre of Dreams. There really was no one like Keano
PREMIER LEAGUE 100 • Paul Scholes, Patrick Vieira, Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard all bestrode the Premier League, but the debate over who did it best still rages on. FFT has made its difficult call – but first, we asked the fans to state their cases
07 STEVEN GERRARD LIVERPOOL • The best player never to win the league title chose Anfield immortality over glory. Author Tony Evans recalls the Stevie G who stood tallest when the Reds really needed him most
06 ERIC CANTONA LEEDS, MANCHESTER • King Eric scratched the Red...