The Top Five Most Underrated Fullbacks Of The Premier League Era

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4 years ago

Categories: Galleries, West Ham United News

Tags: Arsenal, aston villa, Chelsea, Denis Irwin, Everton, Graeme Le Saux, Leighton Baines, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Matt Doherty, Newcastle United, Pablo Zabaleta, Sheffield United, Southampton, Spurs, West Ham, Wolves

Following our look at the most underrated goalkeepers in the history of the Premier League last time, this week we are moving onto the fullbacks.

It is a position which has changed drastically over the last decade, with some teams such as Liverpool now using them as their main creative outlet.

In the past, though, the role was seen purely as a defensive one and that has led to many players being overlooked who, in today’s landscape, would have been appreciated a lot more for their abilities both on and off the ball.

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

5) Matt Doherty (Wolves)

The Irish international scored four goals and contributed seven assists during his first season in the Premier League with Wolves, which was more than he managed in the previous campaign when the Midlands club were promoted.

Doherty scored another four league goals during his second season in the top flight, and his performances have been rewarded with a move to Tottenham this summer.

4) Graeme Le Saux (Blackburn and Chelsea)

The left-back won the Premier League title with Blackburn Rovers, as well as the Cup Winners’ Cup and the League Cup with Chelsea. He also was named in the PFA Team of the Year on two occasions.

Despite that, Le Saux was only given 36 England caps despite being a regular starter at club level right up until his retirement from the professional game in 2005.

3) Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City and West Ham)

The Argentine’s ability may well have been appreciated by both Manchester City and West Ham fans but despite spending 12 seasons in England, he never really got the credit he deserved for his consistency.

Zabaleta’s legs may have gone somewhat by the time he had joined the Hammers, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that he played a pivotal role in City winning two Premier League titles, as well as the FA Cup and League Cup.

2) Leighton Baines (Wigan and Everton)

Despite being blessed with a sublime left-foot, which was equally capable of delivering devilish crosses into the box or scoring directly from free-kicks, the fullback was never really given a chance at a top-four team.

Baines was excellent following Wigan’s promotion to the Premier League leading him to return to his boyhood club Everton. He spent the next 13 years at Goodison Park, making 420 appearances, scoring 32 goals and providing 53 assists.

1) Denis Irwin (Manchester United)

The Irishman’s name is often forgotten among the other stars in United’s formidable team during the 90s, but his leadership and expert penalty-taking ability made him a crucial figure for the Red Devils.

During his 12 years at Old Trafford, Irwin picked up seven Premier League winners medals before leaving for Wolves in 2002.