The Premier League has been home to some of the best footballers in the world over the past three decades.
Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eric Cantona, Luis Suarez, Didier Drogba, Sergio Aguero and many others have lit up English football’s top division since 1992.
But another group of players will always occupy a special place in the hearts of Premier League fans: the ’Streets Will Never Forget’ footballer.
These players weren’t necessarily world-class and most of them didn’t play for top clubs.
But for various reasons - often because they were simply a joy to watch - these ballers left a permanent impression on all of us.
Over at Football Daily on YouTube, presenter Joe Thomlinson has attempted to rank 15 of these ’Streets Will Never Forget’ footballers into five separate tiers.
Tier 1 is for the ultimate ’Streets Will Never Forget’, while Tier 5 is reserved for those who probably don’t deserve the title.
Let’s take a closer look who Joe went for…
Tier 5
Rory Delap
Famous for his ridiculously long throw, Rory Delap terrorised Premier League defences with his special weapon while playing for Stoke City between 2007-2013.
A ’Streets Will Never Forget’ player, though? Debatable.
Tier 4
Yannick Bolasie
Still on Everton’s books, Yannick Bolasie’s locker is full of fancy flicks and tricks. He was extremely entertaining to watch during his days at Crystal Palace.
Asamoah Gyan
Asamoah Gyan only spent one full season with Sunderland, where he scored 10 league goals in 31 games, before accepting a lucrative offer from UAE side Al Ain.
Tier 3
Clint Dempsey
One of the best American players in Premier League history, Clint Dempsey scored 17 goals from midfield during his final season with Fulham before sealing a move to Tottenham in 2012.
Wilfried Bony
Wilfried Bony was a goal machine when he arrived at Swansea City from Vitesse in 2013, bagging 16 in the Premier League and 25 in all competitions. His decline began when he joined Manchester City in 2014.
Geovanni
Tier 3 seems a tad generous to us, but Geovanni did score some magical goals for Hull City between 2008-2010.
Tier 2
Morten Gamst Pedersen
Another player who scored some absolute bangers in the Premier League, Blackburn legend Morten Gamst Pedersen spent eight seasons in England’s top tier.
Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse
As Joe points out on the video, you can’t split up former Newcastle United duo Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse. What a partnership.
Jay-Jay Okocha
One of the most skillful players we’ve ever seen in England, Jay-Jay Okocha featured on Soccer AM’s Showboat feature most Saturdays when he played for Bolton and deservedly so.
Andrei Arshavin
If you score four goals away at Anfield, that’s enough to earn you Premier League cult hero status. When Andrei Arshavin was good for Arsenal, he was excellent. But the Russian also had many off-days.
Tier 1
Adel Taarabt
Now we’re talking. Adel Taarabt has world-class skills. Capable of nutmegging a mermaid, the Moroccan playmaker will always be remembered fondly by Queens Park Rangers fans.
Michu
The ultimate one-season wonder, Michu’s first campaign at Swansea City was ridiculous. The Spanish forward bagged 18 league goals in 2012-13.
Dimitri Payet
In terms of free-kick takers, Dimitri Payet is one of the best players we’ve seen in Premier League history. The former West Ham star could easily have played for a top-four club.
Hatem Ben Arfa
Different gravy on the ball, it wasn’t uncommon to watch Hatem Ben Arfa dribble past four or five players before sticking the ball in the net. If only his attitude had been slightly better, he could have been a global star.
You can watch Football Daily’s video in full here…
Were any other players unfortunate to miss out on the list? Let us know in the comments on Facebook.