3) Gilberto Silva
While everyone was hailing Claude Makelele for introducing the holding midfield role to the Premier League, the Brazilian had already been playing in England for a year, playing in a similar position for Arsenal.
Gilberto was an integral player in the Gunners’ ‘Invincibles’ season in 2003/04 but he wasn’t just a solid, dependable midfielder, he was decent in front of goal too. In 2006/07, he surprisingly hit double figures in the league.
