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The 20 Best Premier League Midfielders of All Time—Ranked
Great midfielders are the lifeblood of any team.
They’re the creators, the runners, the tacklers, the scorers—and everything in between. Some excel in one area, others in another, but nearly all contribute across the pitch, making them the beating heart of their teams.
These 20 players—Sports Illustrated’s greatest midfielders in Premier League history—are a prime example: True maestros whose vision, skill, and influence helped define the league and elevate its most iconic clubs to the stature they enjoy today.
20. Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes is, for all intents and purposes, a modern-day Premier League icon.
Few midfielders over the past decade—Kevin De Bruyne aside—have matched his impact in England, made all the more impressive by the fact he has spent his entire top-flight career carrying a generally underwhelming Manchester United side.
A fierce, sometimes overzealous competitor and a truly elite playmaker and goalscorer, Fernandes has relentlessly recorded both goals and assists. With a stronger supporting cast, or indeed at a different team, his numbers might have been even higher.
19. James Milner
You don’t become the most capped player in Premier League history by accident.
But James Milner’s legacy goes far beyond longevity. A title winner with both Manchester City and Liverpool, he has been the quintessential manager’s dream: Versatile, reliable and capable of performing almost anywhere on the pitch.
That description might understate his quality, but it perfectly captures just how trusted and effective he has been at the highest level throughout his career.
18. Fernandinho
Fernandinho was Manchester City’s midfield anchor for nearly a decade, helping the club secure five Premier League titles.
A tireless, dynamic holding midfielder, the Brazilian combined defensive solidity with the ability to drive forward and contribute to build-up play—a skillset that only grew under Pep Guardiola after his arrival in 2016, as City began to dominate possession.
His leadership and selflessness endeared him to the fans, making him one of the most beloved figures at the Etihad by the time he departed in 2022.
17. Michael Essien
Michael Essien earned the nickname “The Bison” for good reason.
When charging forward with the ball, the powerful Ghanaian was nearly unstoppable, his surging runs through midfield pivotal to the two Premier League titles Chelsea claimed during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Essien also had, perhaps like no other midfielder, a flair for the spectacular, with a highlight reel of thunderous strikes and long-range goals that will make your jaw drop.
16. Michael Carrick
The sort of player people have been calling “underrated” for so long that the label no longer applies, Michael Carrick is finally getting his flowers.
A calm, elegant presence in midfield, the Englishman first shone at Tottenham before moving to Manchester United, where he only got better and better, playing a vital yet understated role as the deep-lying playmaker in a side that won five Premier League titles.
His vision and ball distribution remain among the very best the division has ever seen.
15. Claude Makélélé
Claude Makélélé was central to Chelsea’s early Premier League dominance under Roman Abramovich.
While Frank Lampard was scoring from midfield, Didier Drogba terrorising defences up front, and John Terry marshalling the backline, Makélélé was the understated defensive midfield general who allowed them all to flourish.
On paper, his role seemed simple: Break up play and recycle possession. In reality, it required supreme intelligence, impeccable positional awareness and an almost preternatural ability to read the game—qualities that made him a true master of his craft.
It’s no coincidence the position later became known as the “Makélélé role.”
14. Robert Pires
Yes, Robert Pires counts as a midfielder here, both because he alternated between an attacking midfield role and, even on the wing, often positioned himself deeper than a traditional wide player.
Positions aside, the Frenchman was a masterful operator—effortless on the ball, blending elegance and composure with a sharp eye for goal and sudden bursts of pace.
Pires averaged 14 goal contributions per season during his time under Arsène Wenger, helping Arsenal secure two Premier League titles.
13. Cesc Fàbregas
Cesc Fàbregas enjoyed two remarkable spells in the Premier League, both leaving a lasting impression.
The first came as a teenager at Arsenal, where he seamlessly filled the massive shoes of Patrick Vieira and quickly established himself as one of the league’s most complete midfielders—a creative playmaker, combative presence and regular goal-scorer.
His second stint followed a spell at Barcelona, joining Chelsea in a slightly deeper, less mobile role. From there, he orchestrated play from midfield, guiding the Blues to two Premier League titles, notably registering an impressive 18 assists in the 2014–15 title-winning campaign.
12. Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré arguably had the best single season any midfielder has ever produced in the Premier League in 2013–14, scoring 20 goals, winning the title and generally making the rest of the league look like they were schoolchildren facing off against a man.
On his day—which, for the record, extended far beyond that one season—the Ivorian was unstoppable: A physical powerhouse, an unorthodox dribbler and a supreme passer who carved through midfield with ease, dictating games and dominating opponents at will.
11. N’Golo Kanté
As the old adage goes, “70% of the Earth is covered by water ... the rest is covered by N’Golo Kanté.”
Look, we don’t want to lean on the same line that’s been repeated a million times, but in our defence, it is perfectly accurate.
The Frenchman was everywhere during his time at Leicester City and Chelsea, covering huge ground to break up play—often from the front—recover possession and make life a nightmare for opponents trying to string passes together.
He won back-to-back Premier League titles with the Foxes and the Blues, the only player ever to do so with two separate clubs.
10. Rodri
Rodri is the only midfielder in Premier League history to win the Ballon d’Or, claiming the prestigious award in 2024 after guiding Manchester City to four consecutive league titles and starring for Spain at Euro 2024, where he was the tournament’s standout player.
The archetypal Pep Guardiola midfielder, Rodri combines elite football intelligence, sublime passing range, and unmatched control over a game’s tempo. What sets him apart from other greats—like Andrés Iniesta or Xavi—is his physicality. Beyond orchestrating play, he isn’t afraid to do the dirty work, rattling into challenges and shielding the defence in midfield.
Rodri is the complete package.
9. David Beckham
Given his global celebrity and business success today, it’s easy to forget just how brilliant David Beckham was on the pitch.
Even now, few have matched his precision from free-kicks, nor could replicate the whip and swerve of his trademark crosses. Beckham’s bending technique was unique, nearly unstoppable and entirely his own.
On top of that, he was a six-time Premier League champion and twice a runner-up for the FIFA World Player of the Year award—proof that his greatness wasn’t just in style, but in substance too.
8. David Silva
Pep Guardiola—who has managed the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andrés Iniesta, Thierry Henry, Frank Ribéry, and Robert Lewandowski—once admitted he had “never seen a player like” David Silva.
Lofty praise, but entirely justified.
During his time at Manchester City, Silva was pure magic—a nimble-footed playmaker and consistent goalscorer capable of changing any game and unlocking any defence with a delicate shimmy, a subtle stopover or a disguised through ball. A four-time Premier League winner, Silva also earned a place in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions.
7. Patrick Vieira
If you asked Premier League players of yesteryear who they most dreaded facing, you could bet many would point to Patrick Vieira.
The Frenchman was both a physical marvel and one of the fiercest competitors the league has ever seen, his highlight reel packed with bone-jarring tackles. Combine that with his vision, playmaking ability and knack for surging forward while opponents bounced off his towering frame, and few would have relished the challenge—except, perhaps, his great rival Roy Keane.
A three-time Premier League winner with Arsenal, Vieira also enjoyed a spell at Manchester City during his later years.
6. Steven Gerrard
The only thing really keeping Steven Gerrard from ranking higher is that he never lifted a Premier League title with Liverpool.
Individually, however, he was one of the league’s finest—capable of winning games almost single-handedly when his often-underwhelming supporting cast faltered. Fearsome long-range strikes, surging runs into opposition territory, tenacious tackles and an almost unparalleled range of passing made him a force in every area of the pitch.
Gerrard redefined what it meant to be a complete midfielder, even if a league title ultimately eluded him.
5. Ryan Giggs
The Premier League’s all-time leading assister with 162—an astonishing record that may never be broken—Ryan Giggs was Manchester United’s primary provider for over two decades, helping the club lift 14 league titles.
No player has won more, and United haven’t claimed another since the Welsh winger-turned-midfielder retired, underscoring just how vital he was to their unprecedented success.
4. Paul Scholes
Every player who ever shared a pitch with Paul Scholes speaks of him in superlatives.
Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and countless others described him as the best player they had ever played alongside, while Sir Alex Ferguson hailed him as “the best English midfielder since Bobby Charlton.” Even Xavi—widely regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time—once called Scholes the “most complete” midfielder he had ever seen.
A mercurial talent with the grit of an Englishman and the silky touch of a Spaniard, Scholes was truly one of a kind.
3. Frank Lampard
Frank Lampard is the highest-scoring midfielder in Premier League history, racking up an astonishing 177 goals—a record that alone secures his place among the all-time greats.
From thunderous long-range strikes and delicate chips to vicious volleys and perfectly timed tap-ins, Lampard had an uncanny knack for arriving in the box at precisely the right moment. Yet he never neglected his traditional creative duties—his 102 Premier League assists place him fifth on the all-time list.
Runner-up in the 2005 Ballon d’Or and a three-time Premier League champion, Lampard was instrumental in establishing Chelsea as the powerhouse they are today.
2. Roy Keane
Roy Keane may be remembered as the ultimate hard man, his reputation built on crunching tackles and a boot that often came in late.
But he was far more than that. Keane was an intelligent passer, a midfielder who could drive forward and chip in with goals—especially in his younger years—and, above all, a leader. He had the rare ability to lift those around him, marshal a team and drag it to victory with sheer determination and fearlessness.
It was that combination of skill, grit, and leadership that helped make him—and Manchester United—seven-time Premier League champions at Old Trafford.
1. Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne was the creative engine behind one of the most dominant periods in Premier League history under Pep Guardiola, helping Manchester City lift six league titles before his departure in 2025.
Able to thread impossible passes, whip dangerous crosses from deep or slide a perfectly weighted ball through the smallest of gaps, the Belgian redefined what a playmaker could do in the Premier League. He ranks second for all-time assists with 119, but his assists-per-game ratio remains unmatched.
Both City and the league will be hard-pressed to see another talent of his calibre.
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Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider. Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.